


Just keep breathing

by Dahlia_Rose_83



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/F, Hogwarts Eighth Year, Hurt/Comfort, Idiots in Love, M/M, Nightmares, Not Epilogue Compliant, Oblivious Harry, Panic Attacks, Powerful Harry, Redeemed Draco Malfoy, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-27
Updated: 2020-03-31
Packaged: 2020-09-27 18:54:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 18
Words: 55,645
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20412649
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dahlia_Rose_83/pseuds/Dahlia_Rose_83
Summary: Harry had hoped for some peace and normalcy once he'd defeated Voldemort. What he gets instead are nightmares, panic attacks and his magic going haywire. And suddenly his once sworn enemy is the only one he can rely on.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> First of all a big sorry to everyone who is waiting for the next part of my "Choice" Series. I still plan on writing it. The problem is that I'm still struggling with different ideas and I guess I should also read the last book again, before I really start writing. It's been some time. 
> 
> In the meantime I decided to start this story. The idea has been stuck in my head for ages now.
> 
> I don't know much about panic attacks. Only what I've read in other fanfics and things like that. So I apologize if the things I write don't make much sense. Please don't hold it against me. I tried my best.

Harry couldn't really pin-point the first time it happened. Nightmares were a regular occurrence after the war and he was used to his magic lashing out while he was asleep, so he didn't think anything by it when he woke up to find his bedroom in disarray. Merely shrugged it off and took some precautions for the next time. He also didn't really notice any other incidents, though in hindsight he was sure that there must have been quite a few. Maybe he had deliberately overlooked them.

The first time he really became aware of it was about two months after the end of the war. The dead had been buried and the memorials were finally over, as were most of the Death Eater trials. Kingsley Shacklebolt had been named new Minister for Magic and the Ministry was slowly re-organizing itself. All in all things were starting to quiet down a bit after the hectic following Voldemort's defeat and all that went with it.

Harry had mostly been staying with the Weasleys, aside from a few nights spent at Grimmauld Place and regular visits to Andromeda and Teddy. Maybe it was the fact that Mrs. Weasley had settled him in Fred and George's old room, or maybe the war had changed him more than he'd thought, but the Burrow hadn't held the same comfort and feeling of home as it usually did for him.

The first incident, as he would later come to call it, happened on a regular Sunday afternoon. All had been normal, or at least as normal as it could be these days, so far. But then Ginny asked him to accompany her on a walk. Swallowing down his feeling of unease he agreed and followed her out of the house, never noticing the hopeful smile on Molly's face as she watched them go.

They walked around aimlessly for a while, both mostly quiet, until Ginny stopped next to an old oak tree and turned to look at him. And then she asked the one question he'd been fearing for weeks. She asked what would become of them now. Whether he was ready to continue their relationship or still needed some more time.

Caught off guard, despite having anticipated something like this, Harry stammered around for a while, but in the end he somehow managed to tell her that he didn't want to continue their relationship at all. Things had changed. He had changed. Too much had happened. He wasn't the same boy who had fallen in love with her any more.

Ginny didn't understand. Of course she didn't. He'd only broken up with her to protect her, while he went off hunting Horcruxes. That had been his reasoning back then. Now that the war was over and Voldemort finally defeated for good, the danger had passed. She didn't need protection any longer. They could start their life together like she had always envisioned.

She reminded him that she'd waited for him and got angry when Harry pointed out that he'd never asked her to. He tried to explain that his feelings had simply changed. That he had changed. But all of his stuttered excuses only made it worse. They only made Ginny's anger rise. She wouldn't understand and accused him of cheating on her, even going so far as to ask who he was leaving her for.

Harry didn't really know how it happened. One second he was trying to defend himself against Ginny's hurtful accusations and the next something inside of him snapped. Only when the ginger haired girl stumbled back a few steps, her eyes wide in fear, did he notice the dark waves of magic pulsing all around himself. It felt like his magic was alive, coiling around him like a snake, ready to strike. And the worst thing was that he had no control over it.

He started to panic and his magic lashed out, hitting the old oak tree right next to them. It split in the middle and the two halves crashed to the ground, branches and leaves raining down around them. Ginny shrieked and dove for cover.

Having found their outlet, the lingering traces of magic faded away, leaving Harry feeling tired and drained. And utterly confused.

“I'm … I'm sorry. I didn't mean to...” he stammered.

Ginny looked horrified and flinched away when he stepped closer to her. But she visibly reigned in her fear and forced herself to nod.

“We should go back.” she suggested.

It was the last thing she said to him that day. Harry had no idea what exactly she told her family. Once they were back at the house he fled to his room and stayed there until Molly called him down to dinner. No-one but Ginny was looking at him much differently, so he suspected she hadn't told them what had happened exactly. But everyone seemed to know that their relationship was over for good.

Harry didn't feel comfortable staying at the Burrow after that, so he thanked Molly for her generosity and went back to Grimmauld Place. He wasn't really sure yet if he wanted to keep the house or not. It held a lot of memories, both good and bad and it was the only thing he had left of Sirius. On the other hand it was way too big for one person and he wondered if it would even be possible to make it habitable. But for the time being it seemed like the best place for him to stay. He wouldn’t go back to the Dursleys, now that he actually had a choice. And what other option did he have?

He kept most of his stuff in Sirius' old bedroom, but slept in the room he'd shared with Ron during the summer before fifth year, so he wouldn't accidentally destroy something valuable while having a nightmare. He pushed the incident with Ginny from his mind and was happy to ignore all the other, strange little things that happened.

Like that one time he got angry about something in the Daily Prophet (why Hermione still insisted on him reading that rag was beyond him) and suddenly the teapot exploded. Or the time when a strange noise outside spooked him and the mirror shattered. Or all those times he woke up to find cracks in the walls and his bedsheets ripped to pieces.

The second time he really had to acknowledge that something was wrong was a few weeks after the first. Hermione and Ron were stopping by for a visit and they all sat in the kitchen, drinking tea and enjoying Kreacher's biscuits.

“Do you have any idea when our book-lists are going to arrive?” Harry asked.  
“Our what?” Ron asked.  
“Our book-lists. You know, from Hogwarts. I'm not really looking forward to visiting Diagon Alley, but I guess it's better if we get it over with quickly, right?”

His two friends didn't answer. They looked uneasy for some reason. Ron was fiddling with his napkin, while Hermione stared at the far wall, biting her lip.

“Okay, what's wrong?” Harry wanted to know.  
“Well, actually... Ron and I aren't going back to Hogwarts.” Hermione finally admitted.  
“George offered me work at the shop. I won't need my NEWTs for that.” Ron added.  
“But … when the letters came you said you'd go back. We all agreed that it would be good. You were excited about it.” Harry reminded them.

Newly appointed Headmistress McGonagall had offered every student from Harry's year the chance to return to Hogwarts and take their NEWTs, since the war had prevented them all from completing their education. They would be called eighth years. Despite the now bad memories tied to his old school, Harry had immediately jumped at the chance to return to the one place where he'd always felt most at home. And he had thought that his two best friends felt the same.

“I thought about it. We both did.” Hermione assured. “And at first it sounded like a good idea... But it's like Ron said and … now that most of the remaining Death Eaters have been caught, I can restore my parent's memories. So I'm going to Australia next month and … Ron is going to come with me.”

Harry couldn't believe his ears. They were going to Australia. Without him. They were abandoning him. And they hadn't even had the guts to tell him until now.

“And when were you planning on telling me?” he wanted to know.  
“We were waiting for the right time.” Hermione claimed.  
“Yeah, it just never came up, mate.” Ron added.

“It never came up? The letters arrived weeks ago.” he reminded, getting angry. “We've been talking about Hogwarts nearly every time we met. Or at least I have.” Now that he thought about it, he realized that his two best friends had been rather quiet the last couple of times he'd mentioned the school.

“You were so thrilled to be going back. We didn't want to spoil it for you, mate.” the red-head claimed.  
“And of course I'm going to continue studying on my own and I'll sit my NEWTs with you in June. McGonagall already gave me her okay.” Hermione chimed in again.  
“You've got it all planned out I see.”  
“Harry, we really didn't...”

Suddenly her voice was drowned out by the strange ringing in his ears. Her mouth snapped shut and she stared at him in shock. Only then did Harry realize that it was happening again. His magic was rising around him in waves, ready to lash out. He fought for control, tried to push it back down, but his powers wouldn't respond. His breath was coming in short, painful gasps. Panic was overwhelming him as he realized that he would hurt Ron and Hermione if he didn't get away from them right now.

Mustering his last bit of strength he got up and stumbled out of the kitchen, desperately trying to reign in his powers. Somehow he made it into an unused room. He just managed to shut the door behind himself before he lost the weak hold he had on his magic. It exploded outwards, shattering some old pieces of furniture stowed in a corner. A chandelier crashed down next to him and two paintings were ripped from the wall.

His feet gave out and Harry dropped down to the floor in the middle of the chaos his wayward magic had created, shaking like a leaf and panting like he'd just run a marathon. For a long moment he just sat there, unable to move.

A timid knock at the door made him look up.  
“Harry? Are you okay?” Hermione asked hesitantly.

He struggled to his feet and shuffled to the door, opening it only wide enough to slip through. Judging by Hermione's shocked gasp, she still managed to get a look into the destroyed room.

“Sorry.” he muttered softly.  
“Are you okay?” she asked again.  
“Yeah, fine. I just... I didn't mean to scare you. I... I couldn't control it.”  
“Don't worry about us. It's fine.” Hermione assured, though she still looked shaken up.

But she wouldn't be the girl he knew if she'd let something scare her for long. He could practically see how she pulled herself together and started analysing the situation.  
“Has that happened before?”  
Harry shrugged. “Once or twice.”

He could see his friends sharing an apprehensive look and tried to reassure them.  
“Hey, it's nothing. I guess I'm just... stressed or whatever. Won't happen again.”  
“Harry, that didn't look like nothing.” Hermione pointed out.  
“It looked like you wanted to attack us, mate.” Ron agreed.  
“You know I'd never...”  
“Of course we know that you'd never hurt us intentionally.” the girl hurried to assure. “But you said you couldn't control it. Harry, that's not normal. I think you should see a healer.”

***

Harry didn't want to see a healer. Anything but that. But Hermione kept insisting, telling him over and over again that she only meant well and that she was concerned for him. And when that didn't work, she pulled her trump card.

“What if it happens when you have Teddy? You wouldn't want to hurt him, would you?”

It wasn't fair, mentioning his godson. Because Harry had promised Remus that he would look after the boy. That he would be there for him and protect him. He would do anything to make sure that Teddy didn't get hurt. Even going to see a healer.

So he finally gave in and made an appointment at St. Mungo's, hoping that the press wouldn't catch wind of it. The last thing he wanted was another story in the Daily Prophet, speculating about his mental health.

***

Healer Matthews was a tall, elderly man, with bushy eyebrows, a long nose and a thin white beard. After listening to his explanation of the incidents, he poked and prodded Harry for what felt like hours, pausing only to jot down notes. When he was finally done, he asked his patient to wait while he consulted a colleague.

So Harry waited. Long minutes later healer Matthews returned with a woman in tow. She was a stout little witch, probably around Molly Weasley’s age, with horn-rimmed glasses and her blonde hair done up in a messy bun.

“Margaret Ivers, mind healer. Call me Maggie.” she introduced herself.

Then she settled down in front of him and proceeded to ask Harry all kinds of uncomfortable questions about the war, his childhood and his current living arrangements. He tried to be patient and answer honestly, but soon his temper flared and both healers got a thorough demonstration of the reason he was here.

Once Maggie had taken down her hastily created shields and healer Matthews had crawled out from under the table where he'd sought cover, they sent Harry into another room to wait again while they discussed their results. And probably fetched someone to repair the damage done to the first examination room.

After another long bout of waiting, Maggie joined Harry in the new room and started explaining.  
“I believe we have found the reason for your... outbursts.” she stated rather confidently. “You have told us that when he-who-shall-not-be-named tried to kill you as a child, a piece of his soul latched onto you, correct?”

She waited for his nod, before continuing: “Well, it appears that this piece of soul has been … dampening your magic, for lack of a better word. It has been feeding off your energy. You're a very powerful young wizard, Harry. And now that this dampener is gone, you finally have full access to your considerable magical strength. But as you're not used to harnessing that much power, it needs an outlet.”

“So... you're saying that … these things only happen, because I've got more power now?” Harry asked.

“Yes and no. It's only part of the reason for your outbursts. The other, bigger part is the fact that you're obviously suffering from a severe trauma. Which is very understandable in your situation. Your powers however, react to your inner turmoil. So when you're highly emotional, especially when you're angry I suppose, your magic surges. It becomes an outlet for your anger.”

“Okay. And... what can I do to stop it?”

“Well, it's a very complex problem, so I would advise regular sessions with a mind healer to treat your condition. I think we should start off with ten sessions and see where we go from there. Since I'm already familiar with your medical history now I would be the best choice. But of course you can also choose one of my colleagues, if you prefer. ”

Great. Just what he wanted. Regular sessions with a mind healer. If the Daily Prophet caught wind of that they'd have a field day. Finally they'd get proof that he was the nutcase they had made him out to be back in fifth year.

“Isn't there anything that works a bit quicker?” Harry asked.

Maggie frowned, obviously not at all pleased with his lack of enthusiasm. “Well, of course we'll discuss coping methods in case of another outburst and I can also prescribe you some calming draught, but those can only be a part-time remedy. To stop the outbursts for good we'll have to tackle the real problem. And that will take time and patience.”

“Alright. And what about those coping methods? Can you show me some now?”  
“Of course I can. I was thinking that breathing exercises will work best in your situation...”

***

When Harry finally left St. Mungo's (with a full bottle of Calming Draught, as well as a bottle of Dreamless Sleep potion, but without having made an appointment with Maggie or any other mind healer) it was already getting dark. He sighed in defeat when he found Ron and Hermione waiting for him in the kitchen at Grimmauld Place. He should have known.

“How was the appointment? What did the healer say?” Hermione asked immediately.

Harry explained their diagnosis and told them about the breathing exercises and potions, but conveniently “forgot” to mention that he was supposed to go back there for counselling. He felt no desire to discuss his childhood and the war with that woman. Or anyone else for that matter. And he also didn't see how that would do him any good.

Hermione seemed to notice that he wasn't telling them the whole truth, but surprisingly enough she didn't push. She only reminded him that she and Ron would always be there for him and that he should listen to the healers.

Harry decided to ignore the healers instead. What did they know anyway? He didn't need counselling. He just needed some peace and quiet. Some time to relax. And he needed people to stop annoying him. But he swallowed his pride and told Andromeda about his condition.

“I understand if you don't want me to see Teddy.” he assured.

But Andromeda wanted to hear none of that. “Nonsense. You can still see Teddy whenever you like, Harry. You're his godfather and I know that he means a lot to you. We have all suffered during the war. I know that you would never hurt him.”

Harry felt choked up. He wondered if she had any idea how much her trust, her confidence meant to him. A simple “Thank you.” didn't seem to be enough, but it was the only reply he managed. Judging by Andromeda's gentle smile, she understood.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Draco makes his first appearance in this chapter. It's still from Harry's POV, but I think the next one will be from Draco's.

Things went okay for about a week. Harry stayed at Grimmauld Place and put all of his energy into making the house more habitable. He also visited Andromeda a few times, took little Teddy for a walk or read to him. There were no incidents during that time. No exploding teacups or outbursts of magic. He felt calmer than he had in a long time and was positive that he'd been right. He didn't need counselling. He just needed some time to himself.

Of course there were still the nightmares, which made his magic lash out in his sleep. He knew that he couldn't rely too much on Dreamless Sleep, since it would affect his health if he took it too regularly. But he found that he could sometimes keep the nightmares at bay when he was just tired enough. So he got up early and worked on the house until he felt ready to drop. Then he took some Calming Draught and went to bed. It worked. At least sometimes.

He was starting to think that the worst was over. He was obviously getting used to his new strength, so there would be no more outbursts. At least that was what he was telling himself. Until he was proven wrong yet again.

***

It was Saturday and he didn't feel like working on the house, so he decided to visit Teddy instead. Andromeda had assured him that he could stop by whenever he liked, without having to call first, so he simply apparated to her house and knocked on the door. Andromeda welcomed him with a smile, like she always did. Even if she looked a bit apprehensive this time.

“Harry, how nice of you to stop by. Teddy is asleep, so why don't you come to the living room with me? I have visitors, I hope you don't mind. But there's actually something I needed to tell you.”

Harry thanked her and followed her inside. She led the way to the living room, but stopped just short of entering.

“Oh, I almost forgot. I've got a letter for you. From Hermione.”  
“From Hermione?” he asked in puzzlement.  
Andromeda went to fetch the letter from a nearby drawer. “She gave it to me yesterday and asked me to pass it on.”  
“But... Why would she give it to you? She could've just used an owl.” Harry wondered. Why was she writing to him in the first place? She could have just stopped by.

“I'm not quite sure.” Andromeda had to admit. “She said something about not wanting to upset you. And she didn't want you to be alone when you read the letter. But we didn't have much time to talk. She and Ron had to catch their Portkey. International travel has always been rather complicated and right now with the Ministry still re-organizing itself … It’s a wonder they got a Portkey at all.”

“What Portkey?” Harry asked dumbly.  
“To Australia, of course. They were going to visit her parents, from what I’ve gathered. I thought you knew...” she trailed off and gave him an apologetic look.

Harry stared down at the envelope in his hands. He couldn't believe what he was hearing.  
“You mean they... they've left already?” he whispered.  
“I believe they already arrived in Australia by now. Yes.”  
“But... they didn't even say goodbye.”  
“It was rather spur of the moment, thanks to the chaos at the Ministry. Hermione said they only got the travel information that morning, which left them only a couple of hours to get ready. And they didn't want to upset you...” Andromeda said again.

But Harry wanted to hear none of it. Hermione's promise that she would always be there for him rang inside his head. Nothing but hollow words. She had left. They had both left. And they hadn't even said goodbye. Hadn't even told him they would be leaving so soon. He hadn’t been worth a five-minute floo-call. Just a stupid letter. His hands started shaking and the envelope slipped from his grasp.

“Harry!”

Andromeda's voice had taken on a shrill tone. He only now realized that she had called his name a few times already and that she had backed away from him. And finally he noticed the dark waves of magic rising all around him. It was happening again. He'd been an idiot to think that it wouldn't. The picture frames on the wall rattled and he could still see Andromeda's lips moving, but he couldn't understand a word.

He tried to fight it. To will his magic to back off. But like all the times before it didn't work. It would find an outlet and maybe this time he wouldn't be so lucky. Maybe this time he would hurt someone. Harry trembled, panic slowly overtaking him. His heart hammered like mad, drowning out every other sound. He couldn't talk. Couldn't breathe. Couldn't do anything to stop it.

Until suddenly strong hands grabbed his upper arms and he found himself staring into the determined grey eyes of Draco Malfoy. The blond was talking and somehow the words made it through the fog in Harry's head.

“Look at me, Potter! It's okay. Just breathe. In through your nose, out through your mouth. Come on, Potter. Breathe with me. In … and out. Just like that.”

His tone was quiet and yet so commanding that Harry found himself obeying without second thought. He took a shaky breath and let it out. His lungs were protesting, but he forced himself to take another breath and another. Malfoy kept his strong hold on Harry's arms and kept talking in that low, intense tone.

“That's it. In through your nose, out through your mouth. Just like that. You're doing good. Just keep breathing.”

Slowly the tightness in his chest was lessening. It was getting easier to breathe. Harry still felt cold and he was still shaking, but the panic was subsiding. And so was his magic. The dark tendrils flickered and faded away. He swayed on the spot and Malfoy's hold on him tightened.

“Easy now, come on.” the blond murmured softly.  
Harry allowed himself to be led into the living room and pushed into an armchair. Malfoy hovered in front of him.  
“Do you feel sick?”  
He shook his head. “Just.. cold.”

Seconds later a blanket was draped over his shoulders and he heard the blond muttering something about tea. He cuddled into the warmth, thankful for the comfort it provided and concentrated on keeping his breathing steady. By the time Andromeda pressed a steaming mug of tea into his hands the shivers had mostly subsided.

He looked up at her tentatively.  
“Sorry. I didn't meant to...”  
“It's okay, Harry. There's no need to apologize.” she assured.

She exchanged a look with Malfoy, before giving Harry another smile and leaving the room. Accompanied by Narcissa, whom Harry hadn't even noticed until that moment. Malfoy pulled up another armchair and sat down next to him.

“Drink your tea. It'll help.” the blond ordered quietly.  
Harry took a small sip, before looking up at his former nemesis. “Thank you.”  
“You're welcome.”

They sat in silence for a few minutes, while Harry slowly sipped his tea. It was a strange mixture of herbs he didn't recognize. But it did help to calm his frayed nerves.

“Do you get panic attacks often?” Draco finally broke the silence.  
“Panic attacks? No, I've never...”  
“So that was the first time?”  
“But … no... that wasn't … My magic's just acting up a bit.” Harry protested.

“Potter, I know a panic attack when I see one.” the blond claimed. And when Harry just scowled at him, he swallowed hard and admitted: “I had my fair share of them. Especially in sixth year. I know what I'm talking about.”

It was this admission that made Harry think about it for a moment, instead of giving in to the urge to lash out. “I don't know.” he said finally. “The healer never said anything about panic attacks. She just said that I've got full access to my magic now that Voldemort's gone and that I … need to learn to handle it or whatever. And she claimed I have a trauma.”

He had no idea why he told Malfoy of all people. Then again, the Slytherin wasn't the same git he used to be any longer. The war had changed all of them. And he had just admitted something very personal as well.

Malfoy snorted. “Everyone who fought in the war has a bloody trauma. You don't need a healer to tell you this.”  
“Yeah, guess you're right.” Harry murmured. “She wasn't helpful at all, you know? Just gave me some calming draught and told me I need counselling sessions with her.”  
“I wouldn't scoff at the idea, if I were you. It's pretty obvious that you need help.”  
“I don't need a bloody mind healer to poke around in my past!” the younger boy spat. He could feel the tension returning to his body, his magic reacting to the new wave of anger.

Malfoy reached out and squeezed his shoulder. “Easy. I didn't mean to offend you.” he assured.  
The calm tone of his voice surprisingly helped to calm Harry's temper as well. He concentrated on his breathing for a moment and his magic settled.  
“Sorry. I just... it feels like I get angry really easily these days.” he admitted.  
“It's okay. I should have worded that more carefully.”

Both were silent for a long while. Harry drained the rest of his tea and wondered about the fact that it felt strangely peaceful to sit there with Malfoy. It almost felt like there was a connection between them. He didn’t even mind that the blond was watching him. 

“So.. you’ve already seen a healer?” Malfoy finally broke the silence.  
“Last week. Like I said, they weren’t helpful.”  
“They told you to see a mind healer?”  
“Hmm… but I … I can’t. The bloody Prophet would have a field day.”

Strangely enough he never considered the idea that Malfoy might run to the Prophet. He couldn't explain it, but he was somehow sure that the blond wouldn't betray him like this. That he could trust him. Despite their past and the fact that they hadn't seen each other since the Malfoys trial.

“Yes, I bet they would. But still… if it helps.”  
“I can’t, Malfoy. They’re already speculating why I was seen at St. Mungo’s. I don't want a repeat of fifth year.”

Again they were silent. The blond kept fidgeting, shooting glances at Harry.   
“Maybe... if you don't want to see a healer at St. Mungo's, then maybe you could try talking to my mother.” he suggested suddenly.  
“Your mother?” 

“She trained to become a mind healer after graduating from Hogwarts. But when she married father he forced her to quit. Obviously it's unbecoming for the wife of a Malfoy to work.” he sounded bitter and for a fleeting moment Harry wondered if he even missed his father.

“And… You think it might help?” he asked.  
“I know that she helped me. And I know that she would be happy to try.”

The offer actually didn't sound too bad. Narcissa Malfoy had saved his life. He'd said as much at her trial. Harry knew he would at least feel more comfortable talking to her than to some stranger. And it wasn't like he had anything to lose. Because as much as he hated to admit it, Malfoy was right. He did need help. He’d tried to ignore his problem and it had just gotten worse.

“I guess it's worth a try.” he said finally.  
“And no-one can be suspicious of you coming here.” Malfoy added.  
“We could do it here?”  
“Of course. Unless you'd be more comfortable in your own home.”  
“No, I don't think so. I just thought I'd have to come to the Manor.” Harry explained.

At the mention of Malfoy Manor the blond averted his eyes.  
“You don't know yet.”  
“Don't know what?” the younger boy wanted to know.  
“The Ministry took Malfoy Manor for war reparations. Andromeda has been kind enough to let mother and me move in here.”

“No, I didn't know. I... I'm sorry.” Harry muttered awkwardly.  
“Don't be. We're both glad to be rid of it.” Draco claimed.  
“But it was your home.” the younger boy pointed out.

“It used to be my home. But then the Dark Lord came and turned it into his home. So much has happened there. So much death and darkness. I could never view it as my home again. It's better to leave it all behind and start over.” the blond said. “Of course father would think differently. But since he's going to spend the next 20 years locked up in Azkaban, he doesn't have a say in the matter.”

“Makes sense.” Harry had to agree. “I guess that means we're going to see each other more often from now on, huh?”  
“Looks like it.”  
“Well, in that case maybe we can... start over? Leave the past behind us?”  
“I'd like that.”

“Okay, then. I'm Harry Potter. Pleased to meet you.” Harry joked, holding out his hand.  
Malfoy stared at it for a moment, obviously remembering how Harry had rebuffed his hand back in first year and the Gryffindor started to feel stupid. But then the blond grabbed his hand and shook it. “Draco Malfoy. Pleasure.”

They smiled at each other.  
“Do you want me to talk to mother about trying to help you?”  
“Yeah, that would be great.”

The blond got up, hesitated and turned back to Harry.  
“I know I should have said it sooner, but … thank you. For speaking up for us at the trials. I know what you did for mother. And for me. And... thanks for returning my wand.”  
“I only told the truth. And the wand belongs to you.” Harry said with a shrug.  
Draco shook his head with a smile. “Bloody Gryffindor.” The words sounded almost fond.

Harry watched him as he left the room. Then he leaned back in the armchair and thought back to their talk. It had been their first, real conversation as far as he could remember and he was surprised how well they'd gotten along. Maybe they could really leave the past behind and move on.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for the lovely comments. They really made my day(s).  
This chapter is Draco's POV. Next one will probably be Harry's again.

Draco hadn't seen Potter since the other boy had spoken for him at his trial. He'd been surprised by the help, but he'd appreciated it nonetheless. He knew that without Potter's testimony he would have gotten a much harder sentence. He would've probably been sent to Azkaban with his father. But with the Saviour vouching for him he'd gotten off lightly.

The Wizengamot had decided that he couldn't be held fully responsible for his actions in the war, since he'd been young and forced into the Dark Lord's service by circumstance. As Potter had pointed out, he'd only done what he had to in order to protect his family. He'd only taken the Dark Mark because he'd been forced to.

So instead of getting thrown into Azkaban alongside his father, Draco had gotten a parole. He had to return to Hogwarts and take his NEWTs, he wasn't allowed to leave the country for the next two years and he would have to endure unannounced visits from an Auror, who would check his wand for any traces of dark magic. If he stuck to the rules and kept his head down he'd be free to live his life as he pleased once he left Hogwarts (aside from not being able to leave the country yet).

He'd gotten a second chance and he was determined to use it. To correct his mistakes as well as he could and become a better man. Of course he knew that it wouldn't be easy. That a lot of people wouldn't be pleased that he'd gotten off so lightly. People who would look at him and only see the son of Lucius Malfoy. Just another Death Eater. But Draco vowed to prove them wrong. He vowed to prove that he was more than his father's son.

His mother (who had been pardoned once Potter had told them that she'd saved his life) had suggested that Draco should go and see Potter. Try to make amends and thank the other boy for his help. And while Draco knew that she was right, he still hadn't been too thrilled about that idea. Had put the visit off as long as he could, claiming there were more important things to take care of first.

Like figuring out where they were going to live. The Ministry had given them six weeks to gather their belongings (at least those they were allowed to keep) and move out of the Manor. Draco had wanted to move out as soon as possible. Money wasn't an issue. Despite the fact that they'd had to pay a hefty fee, the Malfoy vaults were still full of gold. The only problem was that no-one wanted to rent or sell to them. While he hadn't expected them to be welcomed with open arms, he was still taken aback by the open hostility they were faced with.

In the end Andromeda had stepped in and offered to let them move into her home with her. Draco was glad that his mother had patched things up with her estranged sister and that he'd finally gotten to know his other aunt. At first the fact that she looked so much like Bellatrix had scared him a little, but he'd realized quickly that she was the complete opposite of his deranged aunt.

Andromeda was gentle and kind. And incredibly strong. She had lost nearly everyone in the war – her husband, her daughter and her son-in-law. But those losses hadn't made her broken or bitter. They hadn't taken away her ability to love and forgive.

It was beautiful to see her with his mother. To see them talking and sometimes even laughing together. Draco knew that they had been close as children and that his mother had always missed her sister. He was glad that they had reconnected and he hoped that they could heal together.

But of course moving into Andromeda's house meant that he was faced with another challenge. A challenge by the name of Harry Potter. Because his aunt had pointed out early on that Potter was her grandson's godfather and therefore also an important person in her life. She had warned him that the younger boy would be coming by regularly and that she expected Draco to be at least polite.

So he had tried to steel himself for their first meeting since his trial. He had even prepared a speech, intending to thank Potter for his help and apologize for his past behaviour. But nothing could have prepared him for the way that first meeting would go.

He'd been nervous when Andromeda had announced that Potter had just arrived. On her insistence he had waited in the living room with his mother, while Andromeda went to greet Potter and warn him about their presence. But something must have gone wrong, because suddenly he had felt a wave of magic, so strong that it had made the walls tremble.

And when he'd gone to investigate he'd found Potter, in the middle of a panic attack and unable to control his wild magic. It hadn't been a conscious decision to approach the other boy. Draco hadn't paused to think about what he was doing. He'd seen the look of panic and utter fear on Potter's face and just reacted.

What followed had to have been one of the weirdest experiences of his life. Which was really saying something. He'd managed to calm Potter down and then they had gone and had their first proper conversation in as long as he could remember. Of course he’d completely forgotten to apologize. At least he had managed to thank the other boy. And to refrain from insulting him. He counted that as a victory.

The whole thing was still very vivid in his mind two days later, when he went to Diagon Alley to buy his school supplies. The list had finally arrived that morning and Draco thought it best to get it over with quickly.

He knew what the public thought of him, so he wasn't too surprised by the hostility he was faced with. Which unfortunately didn't mean that he was immune to it. He almost regretted not taking his mother and Andromeda up on their offer to accompany him. But he hadn't wanted the two women to have to face this hatred too. They didn’t deserve it. He did.

He was just contemplating giving up, after having been thrown out of yet another shop, when a commotion caught his eye. The camera flashes and crowd of reporters told him who he was going to find even before he pushed his way through the mass of people and saw Potter standing in the street, looking about ready to murder someone.

It took Draco only a second to assess the situation. Then he reacted without thinking (as he was prone to do whenever Potter was involved) and rushed to the dark-haired boy's side. He felt Potter's magic even before he reached him. It made his skin prickle and the hairs on his arms stand up. How the reporters didn't notice it was beyond him.

“Potter.” he greeted cautiously.  
“Malfoy!” the other boy breathed, sounding incredibly relieved to see him. Must be a first.  
Draco could see the sliver of fear in his expressive green eyes and laid a cautious hand on his arm.  
“It’s okay. Just breathe.” he instructed quietly, so no-one would overhear.

Potter nodded and took a few deep, calming breath. The magical energy surrounding him slowly dimmed back to more normal levels.  
“Are you here to buy your school supplies?” Draco asked in an attempt to distract him.  
He was acutely aware of the many people watching them, the camera flashes going off every few seconds. The onlookers seemed to be holding their breath. Probably hoping for a fight.

“Yeah. You too?”  
“Yes. I thought it best to get it over with quickly.” the blond said.  
“Me too.” Potter admitted.

Suddenly someone shouldered roughly past Draco, making him stumble and hissing “Death Eater scum!”. The Slytherin did his best to ignore the insult, but Potter glared at the guy, who hurried to disappear back into the crowd.

“We could get the rest of our shopping done together.” the Gryffindor offered.

Of course Draco realized what he was trying to do. He was hoping that his presence would protect the blond from further harassment. Only a year ago he would have bristled at the indication that he needed Potter to protect him. Right now he didn't really care. If it meant that he could actually get his shopping done, he'd accept the younger boy's help.

“Sounds good. Where are you headed next?”  
“I was thinking we could go to Flourish & Blotts to buy our books. And then maybe the Apothecary?” Potter suggested, looking a little surprised that his offer was accepted so readily.  
“Sure. Lead the way.” Draco agreed, not bothering to mention that he'd already been kicked out of the Apothecary earlier today.

They walked to the bookshop side by side, with a bunch of reporters still trailing after them. People stopped to stare as they passed by. Draco heard the onlookers talking amongst themselves. Most of them didn't even try to be quiet. And it was always pretty much the same.

“Was that Harry Potter?”  
“What is the Saviour doing with that Death Eater?”  
“A Death Eater? Call the Aurors!”  
“Look, it's the Malfoy boy! Walking around like he has no shame!”  
“Is that Potter? With a Malfoy?”

The blond squared his shoulders and held his head high, determined not to show weakness. He wouldn't let these idiots see that their words were affecting him. At least in this his father's training was helpful. He'd learned from a young age to put on a mask of indifference.

“Fucking press! Why can't they leave us alone?” Potter growled next to him.  
“Just ignore them. Try to stay calm.” Draco advised.  
“I am trying. But it's not easy, with those idiots following me around all the time.”  
“Ignore them. Focus on something else.”

The Gryffindor took a deep breath, letting it out slowly.  
“You're right. I don't want my magic acting up. I'm not giving them the satisfaction to see that.”  
“That's the spirit.” Draco said with a smile.

They finally reached Flourish & Blotts and he motioned for Harry to step in first. A small man came hurrying forward as soon as he spied the dark-haired boy, a wide smile on his face. He stopped short however when his eyes fell on Draco and the smile was replaced by a frown. But before he could utter a word, Potter was already talking:

“Hello, we're here to buy our school books. We need two copies of Advanced Transfiguration Grade Seven, the Standard Book of Spells Grade Seven and Advanced Potion-making Grade Seven.” he told the clerk, before turning to look at Draco. “Do you need anything else?”

“Umm, no that's all.” the blond replied. He still had his Arithmancy book from last year. It was one of the few things that had somehow survived the battle at Hogwarts.

The small man made a sour face and went to fetch their books. He kept shooting Draco dark looks, but like expected Potter's presence kept him from saying anything. Only a few minutes later they left the shop with their purchases and headed for the Apothecary.

Once again Potter was greeted with a wide smile. But when the man behind the counter spied Draco, the smile quickly turned into a glare.

“You've got some nerve, boy! I already told you that we don't serve the likes of you in here. Get lost and don't you dare enter my Apothecary ever again!” he spat.

The blond swallowed hard and turned to leave, but Potter caught his arm and pulled him further into the shop instead, before rounding on the owner.

“He's with me.” he declared in a loud voice. “So you're either going to sell him whatever he needs, or we're both going to leave without buying anything. Though I have no idea what all those reporters out there, who insist on following me around and watching my every move, are going to think when I leave your shop empty-handed.”

The man spluttered in indignation and Draco looked at the Gryffindor with new-found respect. By threatening to make him look bad in the press, he left that idiot no choice but to sell Draco what he needed. That was blackmailing worthy of a Slytherin.

Realizing that he had no choice, at least if he didn't want to risk his reputation, the man grudgingly asked Draco what he needed.

“You know what he's done, though, don't you?” he asked, looking at Potter.  
“He got pushed into a war by circumstance. And he did what he had to do in order to survive it. Just like all of us.” the dark-haired boy answered without hesitation.  
The man snorted. “Circumstance my ass. His bloody family has always been in league with dark wizards.” he claimed.  
“And that kind of stupid prejudice is what started the war in the first place!” Potter shot back, his anger rising. A few glass bottles trembled on a shelf.

Draco placed a calming hand on his shoulder.  
“It's okay, Potter. Don't bother.”  
“No, it's not okay!”  
“Maybe not. But getting worked up over it won't change anything.” the blond pointed out.

The younger boy seemed to get his meaning, because he visibly reigned in his temper and contended himself with a glare. The man seemed unnerved enough by this. He worked quickly to full-fill their orders and only minutes later they stepped out into the street again.

“That guy threw you out before?” Potter asked, keeping his voice down so he wouldn't be overheard.  
“Yes. And he wasn't the only one.” Draco answered with a sigh.  
“But that's... How can you stay so calm about it?”  
“Because like I said, getting worked up won't change anything. And it's not like they don't have enough reason to hate me.”

“It wasn't your fault. And you were pardoned.” the Gryffindor argued.  
“I've got a parole.”  
“Same thing, practically.”  
“Not really.”  
“But close enough.”

Draco shook his head and gave in. There was just no arguing with Potter.  
“Why did you act so surprised?” he wondered instead. “You must have at least had an idea how they're treating me around here. It's why you offered to do the shopping together, isn't it? To protect me with your presence.” He couldn't quite keep the resentment out of his voice, no matter how hard he tried. And he really did appreciate the help, even if he hated to admit it.

“No, it's not.” Potter claimed. When Draco regarded him with raised eyebrows, he muttered: “Okay, maybe that's part of the reason. But mostly I asked you to go shopping with me because I'm selfish.”

“Selfish? You?” That didn't make any sense. And he doubted that it was true.  
“Yes, I am. Those bloody reporters pissed me off. Pretty much everything pisses me off right now. And you know what happens when I get angry.”  
“Your magic lashes out.”  
“Exactly. I don't want that to happen. Especially not here, with other people around. Can you imagine what happens if the Prophet gets wind of it?”

That wasn't too hard to imagine. Draco had seen what the Prophet had done to Potter in fifth year. Hell, he'd even helped those bastards back then.  
“And what does that have to do with me?” he still wondered.

“When my magic lashes out, I have no control over it. I can't stop it. But you... I don't know how you do it, but you help me control it. You know exactly what to do to keep me calm. When we met earlier, I was seconds from losing control. And you helped me. Just like you did at Andromeda's. I never managed to stop it before.”

“You mean... everyone else just waited for you to … explode?”

Potter shrugged. “Sort of. They usually.. well, Hermione tried to talk to me, but I couldn't really hear her. And they all... they kept their distance. No-one dares to approach me when my magic whacks out. Not even the healers. But you do.”

Draco didn't know what to say. Those other people were probably smart to stay away, but he just couldn't. Not when the younger boy looked so scared and helpless. In the end he settled for claiming: “I'm not scared of you, Potter.”

The Gryffindor smiled sadly. “Maybe you should be.”  
“But I'm not. Never were. Though I have to say you're displaying surprisingly Slytherin traits lately.”  
“Was that meant to be an insult?”  
“Of course not. It's a compliment.” Draco insisted, pleased to coax a genuine smile from the other boy.

“Well, in that case, thank you. And just for your information, I was almost sorted into Slytherin.” Potter claimed and started walking down the street. Draco stared after him in stunned silence, before he shook himself and hurried to catch up.

“You were not.”  
“I was too. The Sorting Hat said I'd do well in Slytherin. But then it put me into Gryffindor instead.”  
“Probably better that way. You'd have made a horrible Slytherin.”  
Potter just laughed.

***

The rest of their shopping trip was surprisingly pleasant. Potter got better at ignoring the photographers and reporters, who seemed to pop up at every corner and he even stopped bristling at every dark look and nasty comment directed at Draco. With Potter at his side no-one dared to attack the blond openly and he also didn't get thrown out of any other shops.

They both stacked up on parchment, ink and some other necessities, before heading to Madam Malkins. The Slytherin felt the weirdest sense of deja-vu, standing there next to Potter, while two witches flitted around them, pinning up their robes.

“Feels weird, doesn't it?” the younger boy muttered.  
“Yeah, it does.”  
“Somehow I keep waiting for you to start insulting Hagrid or something like that.”  
Draco grimaced. “I managed to get on your bad side at our very first meeting, huh?”  
Potter shrugged. “You reminded me of my cousin. He... he used to bully me. And then you said those mean things about Hagrid... And you were acting all superior.”

Yes, he'd acted like a total brat that day, all-knowing and aloof, when in reality he'd been a nervous wreck. It had been the first time he'd tried to make a friend and he had gone about it all wrong.

“Really?” Potter wondered and Draco realized that he'd said that out loud. His face felt hot and he just knew that he was blushing.  
“Well... up until Hogwarts my father decided who I associated with. I never got to choose my own friends, so I had no idea how to make friends.” he admitted.  
“That explains a lot.” Potter commented drily.

Draco wasn't sure whether or not he should feel offended. But when he glanced over and caught the other boy's grin, he realized that Potter was only teasing. The fact that the Gryffindor felt comfortable enough to tease him made him feel warm inside. So he just snorted and muttered: “Guess it does.”

Potter chuckled and the blond found himself relaxing, grinning along. He hadn't managed to become Potter's friend back when they'd been eleven, but maybe they could really start over. Maybe they could become friends now.

They finally paid for their robes and left the shop together. Potter cast an uncertain look in the direction of the Weasley's joke shop, but then turned away.  
“Did you want to...?” Draco offered, but the younger boy shook his head.  
“No, I... I don't think that's a good idea.”

The blond decided not to question him further. It was obvious that something had happened between Potter and his surrogate family, but it wasn't his place to ask.

“Well, I think I've got everything.” he said instead.  
“Yeah, me too. Guess I'll … head home then.” Potter mumbled.  
He seemed reluctant to go and Draco found himself speaking up without really thinking it through. “Do you want to come back to Andromeda's with me? It's almost time for tea.”  
“Oh, I... I wouldn't want to intrude.”  
“You won't.” the Slytherin assured. “Unless you've got other plans?”  
“No. No plans.”

“Okay, then. You're more than welcome to join us for tea. Mother has taken up baking as a new hobby. She's actually getting very good at it, but if I keep eating all the sweets she forces on me I'm going to get fat.”

“Now we can't have that.” Potter said with a grin.  
“Of course not. I'm too beautiful to get fat.” Draco claimed, trying to keep a straight face. He managed to coax another laugh from the other boy, who seemed rather happy not to have to go off on his own just yet.

If his mother and aunt were surprised about the guest he brought for tea, they didn't show it. And Narcissa seemed genuinely pleased when Potter ate three slices of chocolate cake.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for all the positive feedback. And sorry that the new chapter is rather short. I hope the next update will be longer.

Harry shifted awkwardly in his seat, careful not to jostle the delicate teacup in his hand.  
“I... I don't know how to go about this.” he admitted quietly, glancing at Narcissa Malfoy, who was seated across from him in Andromeda's cosy living room.

“Try to relax.” she advised. “This won't help if you don't feel comfortable. Same goes for the things you wish to discuss. I'm not going to ask you to talk about something you don't feel comfortable talking about.”

He put the teacup down with a frown. “I thought the whole point of this was to make me talk about the .. the difficult stuff.”

“Well, yes and no. Our ultimate goal is for you to get it all off your chest, instead of bottling it up like you've been doing so far. But I fear that forcing you to talk about some things before you are ready will only cause another outburst.” she explained.

Which made sense, Harry had to admit. But... “I don't know if I'll ever be ready to talk about some things.”

“You will be.” Narcissa stated confidently. “Just give yourself time. There is no pressure. You also don't have to talk to me about it. Talk to your friends or a family member. Maybe even a pet. You could also start a diary. Write it down, if you don't feel comfortable saying it out loud. The important thing is that you get it out of your head. That you start dealing with it.”

“And you think that will help with the … outbursts?” Harry asked hopefully.

“I hope so. There are no guarantees. Mind healing is a very complex matter. And please bear in mind that it's been nearly 20 years since I studied to become a mind healer. I also never finished my education.”

“Malfoy... Draco said you really helped him.”

Narcissa smiled. “I hope I did. Though I believe that was quite a bit easier. He is my son and I've known him all his life. And like I said, mind healing is complex. What worked for him might not work for you. But I will do my best to help you.” she promised.

“I know you will. And I really appreciate it. I didn't fancy visiting some mind healer at St. Mungo's. Talking about all this stuff with a stranger... I don't think I could do that.”

“You are like Draco in that.” she noticed with a smile. “You seem to get along better with my son lately.” Which was most likely a hint at their shopping trip yesterday. Harry hadn't been surprised to discover that they'd made the front page of the Daily Prophet that morning.

“I do. He's … different. Or maybe I'm different. I don't know.” he said, shrugging a little.

“I believe you have both changed. It's no wonder, after all that you've been through. A war does that. It changes your perspective and shifts your focus. It makes you realize new things about yourself, maybe even question your priorities and views.”

“Yeah, I get that. I... I broke up with Ginny.” Harry admitted quietly. “She didn't understand. Of course she didn't. I don't really understand it myself. About a year ago I was sure that I was going to marry her one day, start a family with her. And now... I just … I don't love her anymore. And I have no idea how or when I even stopped.”

For all that he didn't want to talk about his personal life, it felt good to finally say it out loud. He hadn't talked about his failed relationship at all. There had simply been no-one to talk to. Ron was Ginny's older brother. It felt too weird to confide in him. Things had been awkward enough while he'd been dating Ginny. And the same went for Hermione. She and Ginny were friends and now that she was dating Ron she was practically part of the Weasley family as well.

“Feelings can change.” Narcissa told him. “And sometimes we have to realize that our feelings weren't really what we thought they were. That we mistook friendly affection for love. Or bitterness for hatred.”

He took a moment to process this, wondering if he'd understood correctly. “So .. you think that I never really loved her in the first place? That I just thought I did?”

“I didn't say that. I'm merely saying it's a possibility. It doesn't necessarily have to be true. Maybe you really did love her and your feelings have just changed. Things like that can happen, especially at a young age. Or maybe you just thought that you loved her, when in reality it was merely friendship. Only you would be able to tell. But I guess it doesn't really matter either way, since the outcome is the same.”

Harry's head was spinning. He'd never thought of it like that. Could it be true? Had he really never loved Ginny like that? Okay, he'd never been good at analysing his feelings. And they had been friends above anything else. But did that mean that he'd mistaken his feelings for Ginny?

He was glad when a quiet knock at the door interrupted them. Narcissa waved her wand to end the silencing spell she had placed on the room earlier and Andromeda poked her head in.

“I'm sorry to disturb you, but dinner is ready.” she announced.  
“Oh, sure. Sorry. I'll better head home then.” Harry said, surprised at how much time had gone by. But the dark-haired woman waved him off impatiently.  
“Nonsense, Harry. You're eating with us.” she said in a tone that left no room for argument.

So Harry found himself sitting at the table next to Malfoy, enjoying a delicious meal.  
“Did you see the Prophet?” the blond asked. “One would think they'd come up with something a little more creative than 'Harry Potter seen shopping with former Death Eater'.”  
“What did you expect? It's the Prophet.” Harry reminded.  
“Of course. How silly of me to expect anything but utter bullshit from that fucking rag.”

“Draco, mind your language!” Narcissa admonished sternly.  
“I'm sorry, mother.” the blond muttered softly and the Gryffindor had to stifle a chuckle. It was remarkable how normal this all felt.

The two women were discussing their plans for the garden. Narcissa wanted more roses, while Andromeda loved the idea of growing garden herbs. And Harry bickered with Malfoy. About the latest edition of the Quibbler no less.

“Don't act so shocked, Potter. I like the Quibbler. If you skip all the weirdness, you get the facts the Prophet refuses to print.”  
“I enjoy the weirdness, too.” the younger boy admitted. “It feels a little like talking to Luna. And at least Crumple Horned Snorkacks have nothing to do with me.”  
“I bet if you claimed you saw one, the Prophet would agree that they're real.” Malfoy mused.  
“Either that or they'd take it as proof that they've always been right and I'm completely barmy.”  
“Well, I wouldn't say completely, but...” Draco trailed off with a smirk.

Strangely enough, Harry didn't feel insulted. It wasn't said with malice. The older boy was merely teasing him. Like Ron or Seamus would do. Teasing he could take.  
“Takes one to know one.” he shot back with a grin.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The boys return to Hogwarts and Draco realizes just how difficult this year is going to be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again thanks for all the lovely and encouraging comments. I actually managed to get a longer chapter done this time. Hope you like it.

Draco dragged his heavy trunk through the train, scowling at the kids who stopped to stare at him. Some were whispering amongst themselves, others even pointed their fingers at him. The older ones made it very clear that he wasn't welcome to join them in their compartments, while the younger ones looked scared, as if they thought he would attack them any second.

Most of them didn't even bother to lower their voices and he was once again glad that he'd managed to talk his mother out of bringing him to the train. He caught the word Death Eater more than once. And that was actually one of the nicest things people had to say about him.

The blond breathed a sigh of relief when he finally spied some familiar faces. He'd started to think he would never find a place to sit. The three Slytherins looked up when he opened the door to their compartment, but neither of them seemed happy to see him.

Daphne quickly averted her eyes, while her sister stiffened and turned to look out of the window. Draco remembered his father talking about a potential marriage between him and the younger Greengrass girl. Lucius had already started negotiating, as far as he was aware. But then the war had prevented them from making any final decisions. And therefore saved Draco from that fate. Astoria on the other hand wouldn't have been too unhappy about becoming his wife. At least according to Pansy.

The thought of his best friend stung. Pansy was far away, enrolled at Beauxbatons for her last year of schooling and he already missed her terribly. But he couldn't dwell on that now, because Blaise had gotten up from his seat and was blocking the entrance. He seemed conflicted, even if he did his best not to show it.

“I'm sorry, Draco. But I must ask you to leave.”  
“Excuse me?”  
Blaise cringed. “We can't be seen associating with you. It's going to be hard enough for us this year. If we want to have any chance of being accepted, we'll have to distance ourselves from you.”  
Draco nodded curtly. “I understand.”

And he did. A lot of people associated Slytherin with Death Eaters now. Even though the Zabinis and Greengrasses had been smart enough not to get directly involved with Voldemort, they would be closely watched and regarded with mistrust simply for being in Slytherin.

Everyone knew that Draco had been a Death Eater. It was no secret and the faded mark on his arm was a very visible reminder. They really couldn't afford to be seen with him. People would take it as proof that they'd been in league with the Dark Lord as well.

For the first time he realized what going back to Hogwarts would mean for him. He was a misfit now. The former prince of Slytherin had become an outcast. No-one would talk to him. No-one would sit with him. He would be all alone, without any friends. But it wasn't like he had a choice here.

The compartment door closed right in his face with a thud that sounded too loud in his ears. They had shut him out just like that. He was truly alone now. Somewhere to his left he could hear someone snickering.

“Malfoy!”  
Startled by the voice he turned in the opposite direction.  
“Potter.”  
It was still strange to see the younger boy smiling at him, despite their interactions over the past two weeks.  
“Are you looking for someone or just trying to find a compartment?”

Draco resisted the urge to look back at the closed door. He had no-one to look for any longer. No-one who would be saving a seat for him.  
“Just trying to find a compartment.” he said quietly.

“Great. Me too. Come on, we can look together.” Potter urged, like it wasn't the most ridiculous thing to do. Still the blond followed him mutely and allowed the Gryffindor to steer him into an empty compartment further down the train.

At least he thought it was empty. On second glance he noticed a girl with long, dirty blonde hair, who was reading a very familiar magazine.

“Hi Luna. Mind if we join you?” Potter asked.  
She smiled dreamily at both of them. “Not at all. It's very nice to see you both.”

She said it like she meant it. Like she hadn't spent weeks imprisoned in a dark cell in Malfoy Manor. Draco had written to her over the summer, apologizing for the things she'd had to suffer in his home. Apologizing for not doing anything to help her. For being too much of a coward.

Luna's answer had been quick and friendly. She had assured him that she understood. That she knew it wasn't his fault. She even thanked him for the food he'd had the house elves smuggle down to her, whenever he'd managed to get away with it. He was still surprised that she'd realized it had been him sending the elves.

“Hullo Luna.” was all he managed in reply to her words. He still felt overwhelmed that she'd forgiven him so easily. Especially when he couldn't even forgive himself.

“Is that the new edition of the Quibbler?” Potter asked, pointing to the magazine in her lap.  
“Oh, yes. Daddy had to reprint again because it was sold out so quickly.”  
“Really? That's great. We loved your article about the Wrackspurts, didn't we Malfoy?”

The blond rolled his eyes. “It was very enlightening.” And had led to a completely absurd discussion with Potter, which had lasted for over an hour. Draco couldn't even remember what exactly they'd been discussing. Only that it had been fun.

“Thank you.” Luna said, giving both of them a brilliant smile. “It's good that you read it, Harry. I know how prone you are to attracting Wrackspurts. You should really take some precautions.”  
“I will.” Potter promised earnestly and Draco had to stifle his laughter.

“I also really enjoyed the article about the Ministry's new approach to the wolfsbane potion.” the blond let her know. Conspiracy theories aside, it had offered some interesting information. It looked like the new Minister was finally making some progress on werewolf rights.

Potter smiled sadly and Draco guessed that he was thinking of professor Lupin. For some reason he wanted to wipe that sad look off the younger boy's face, so he turned to Luna again: “About the Wrackspurts though... you wrote that you can ward them off by hanging Christmas ornaments over your bed. So I was wondering … does it have to be a certain number of ornaments? Or any particular colour?”

She launched into a complicated explanation that he found himself droning out. But when he glanced at Potter again, the Gryffindor was smiling.

***

The train ride turned out surprisingly nice. Luna shared a few of her more outrageous conspiracy theories, Draco and Potter bickered about Quidditch and they all spent some time musing about the new DADA teacher. When the food trolley stopped by, Potter bought some chocolate frogs and sugar quills for all of them.

The only thing that put a dampener on their mood were Potter's adoring fans. They showed up at the door to their compartment in little groups and then stood there, ogling the dark-haired boy like an animal in a zoo, until Draco got fed up and conjured a shutter over the door. A few more aggressive ones even barged into the compartment, asking for autographs or pictures, but the Slytherin's sharp tongue quickly sent them scurrying out again. Potter actually thanked him for getting rid of the fan girls and joked about hiring Draco as his personal bodyguard, while Luna only gave them a strangely knowing smile.

They reached Hogwarts in no time and got off the train amongst a lot of whispers and curious stares. Draco shuddered when his eyes landed on the Thestrals pulling the carriages.

“They're really sweet creatures.” Luna assured him.  
“I know. But I'd still prefer it if I couldn't see them.” the Slytherin whispered.  
“Me too.” Potter agreed with him.

They ended up sharing a carriage with two nervous looking Hufflepuff boys. Second years, judging by their small size and shyness. The ride up to the castle passed mostly in silence, with only the two boys exchanging a few whispers here and there.

Hogwarts appeared like it always had. Draco looked around as they walked to the Great Hall, but he could see no signs of the battle. No charred walls or rubble. He felt relieved that there were no visible reminders and yet a bit disconcerted that things seemed to be going on like nothing had changed.

When they reached the doors to the Great Hall, Potter gave him a nervous smile and headed for the Gryffindor table. The blond nodded and went in the opposite direction, while Luna joined her fellow Ravenclaws.

Draco took a seat at the end of the table, unsurprised that the other Slytherins kept their distance. He had known that this year was going to be a difficult one. His encounter with Blaise on the train had shown him just how difficult. But he was determined to make it through. He had no other choice, really, since it was part of his parole. But he would have come back anyway, he thought.

He'd just keep his head down and concentrate on studying. Finding a job would be nearly impossible, but maybe he'd have a chance if he passed his NEWTs with perfect results. And maybe he could redeem himself a little. Show people that he had changed. That he was no longer the arrogant, bigoted pureblood brat, but a young man with new ideals. One could always hope, right?

He watched the sorting with no real interest. The kids who got sorted into Slytherin looked unsure and wary as they made their way to the table amidst muted clapping. Taking their cue from the older students they too kept their distance from Draco. They were ducking their heads, as if to hide. His house had lost its pride, the blond realized. And it was at least partly his fault.

Once the sorting was over, new headmistress McGonagall stood up to welcome the students. She talked about the war and how important it was to learn from past mistakes. And she said that it was time to leave the past behind them and turn over a new leaf.

“I will not tolerate prejudice of any kind.” she warned. “If you attack another student – be it with words or actions – there will be consequences.”

Draco was surprised to find her glaring at the other three house tables as she said this. But maybe he shouldn't have been. He'd seen the dark looks directed at Slytherin.

“The war is over. This year is about healing and moving forward. I hope that we can find a new unity between the four houses.” the headmistress declared. Draco sincerely doubted that, but he dutifully clapped along with everyone else.

After introducing the new teachers (for DADA, Muggle Studies and Transfiguration, since McGonagall would only teach the eighth years this year) warning students to stay away from the forbidden forest and informing them about the list of banned objects, she asked the eighth years to remain behind after the feast. Her speech delivered, she finally sat back down and the feast began.

Draco ate with little appetite. His eyes kept darting over to the Gryffindor table almost on instinct. He'd always had this urge to look over and see what Potter was doing. Just like Potter had always looked back. Like he was looking back now. But where they had sneered at each other in the years before, they now traded cautious smiles. It was strange. And yet the only good thing about this year so far.

The blond had never been so eager for the feast to end, but it seemed to drag on forever. He sighed in relief when the plates finally vanished and the students started to get up and head out. When everyone else had left, McGonagall stepped down from the platform and motioned for the eighth years to gather around her.

They were a small group – three Slytherins, five Gryffindors, five Ravenclaws and four Hufflepuffs. A lot of people had not returned. Some never could.

“Thank you all for waiting. I won't keep you too long, but I have some things to tell you before you retire for the night.” the headmistress let them know. “First of all I want to thank you for taking the opportunity to return and finish your education.” They all smiled dutifully and she went on:

“As you all know, this is the first time that Hogwarts offers an eighth year. Unfortunately this also brings a few minor problems. The rooming situation, most of all. Since we're a bit short of space and you're all adults here, we decided to put you in separate quarters. The third floor has been turned into a special eighth year dormitory. I hope that this arrangement will also help to promote inter house unity and I expect you to set a good example for the younger students. If you will follow me now, I shall lead you to your new quarters.”

She led them to the third floor, where a stone gargoyle was guarding the entrance. It leaped aside once she gave the password and they entered their new common room. It was small, but cosy, with a blazing fireplace, couches and squashy armchairs in earthy browns and rugs, cushions and curtains in a soft rose colour.

“Girls dorms are on the right, boys on the left. You will all room with someone from a different house. Room assignments are not negotiable” McGonagall told them sternly. “First room: Seamus Finnegan and Anthony Goldstein.”  
“But I want to share a room with Dean!” the Irishman protested.  
“Room assignments are not negotiable, Mister Finnegan! I won't repeat myself a second time. Next room: Blaise Zabini, Michael Corner and Justin Finch-Fletchley...”

Despite her warning there were a lot more grumbles and complaints. Lavender Brown was nearly in tears when she got paired with Daphne Greengrass. But the headmistress only dismissed the arguments and kept to her list.

In the end only Potter and Draco were left. The Slytherin wasn't surprised. As soon as he'd heard that he would be sharing a room with someone from a different house, he'd known who his room-mate would be. The strangest thing was that he didn't even mind. He'd actually gotten the best possible option.

“At first I wasn't sure what to do with the two of you.” McGonagall admitted. “But I saw the pictures in the Prophet and I want to believe that you've outgrown your childish rivalry. Don't prove me wrong.”  
“Don't worry, professor. We won't.” Potter assured earnestly.

She gave him a doubtful look. “I hope so, Potter. This is going to be a difficult year for all of us. You're adults now. I expect you to behave accordingly and set a good example for the younger students.”  
“We won't disappoint you.” Draco promised. He was grateful that she'd even let him come back. And he was determined to use the chance she was giving him.

McGonagall still looked slightly doubtful, but she sent them to bed without further warnings. Draco could hear her muttering something as she left and realized that this would be a hard year for her as well.

Their room was surprisingly big. There were two four-poster-beds – one with hangings in red and gold, the other one in green and silver. The bed-hangings were the only signs of their respective houses. The rest of the room had the same brown-rose colour theme as the common room. Two desks with matching chairs and a wardrobe for each of them completed the furniture.

“It's nice.” Potter commented, flopping down on his bed, which was thankfully the one closer to the window. Draco hated sleeping next to the window, being woken up by early morning sunlight, when he could get away with sleeping late.

“Are you okay with this?” the younger boy suddenly asked, sitting up again. “I guess you were hoping you'd get to share a room with Zabini. And now you're stuck with me.”

“It's fine, Potter. There are worse things than sharing a room with you.” He'd had to endure way worse, but he didn't want to drag up the past. “And besides... Blaise is going to be relieved that he doesn't have to share with me.”

“Why? Are you such a horrible room-mate?”

The teasing tone still surprised Draco. That Potter felt comfortable enough with him to tease and joke around, despite their history. It was a little overwhelming. And yet it was easy to return the friendly banter.

“I'm a wonderful room-mate.” he claimed in his best haughty voice.  
“Oh really? And why doesn't Zabini want to share with you? I bet you snore.”  
“I do not snore, Potter!”

The younger boy chuckled. “What is it then?” When Draco didn't answer he grew serious again. “Did you have a fight or something? He didn't sit next to you earlier during the feast. Or on the train.”

“No, nothing like that. It's just... when I saw him on the train today, he made it very clear that he couldn't afford to be seen with me. Same goes for Daphne.”  
“What's that supposed to mean?” Potter asked, sitting up straighter.

“It means that Slytherin is associated with the Dark Lord now. People will be wary, possibly even hostile towards all Slytherins this year. So if Blaise and Daphne want to have any chance of being accepted, they need to distance themselves from me.”

“Why?”  
“Why?” Draco repeated. “Because I was a Death Eater, Potter. And everyone knows it.”  
“But you've changed.” the Gryffindor protested.

“And who is going to believe that? You've seen how people treated me in Diagon Alley. Do you really think it's going to be any different here? People look at me and see a Death Eater. They see someone who should be rotting in Azkaban.”

“But that's not fair.”  
“It is what it is, Potter. Just accept it. And now I'd really like to sleep, okay?”


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A big thank you for all the lovely comments. And I hope you like the new chapter as well.

It took only a few days for Harry to realize that Malfoy was right. Despite McGonagall's warning that she wouldn't tolerate prejudice of any kind, people were hostile towards Slytherins in general and the blond in particular. 'Death Eater scum' seemed to be everyone's new favourite insult. You could hear it all over Hogwarts, usually hissed at a Slytherin who was foolish enough to walk around alone. There were other words, too. None of them were any nicer.

Malfoy seemed immune to the name-calling, the taunts and dark glares he received. He walked through the halls like he didn't notice any of it. He sat alone at the Slytherin table, separated from the rest of his house and spent most of his time either in the library or locked up in their room. Harry envied him for his stoic calmness.

It took only one day for the Gryffindor to get fed up with the other students. Quite aside from their unfair treatment of the Slytherins, they were grating on his nerves by staring at him or whispering behind his back. A few people had even asked for autographs or tried to take pictures of him. And it felt like there were giggling girls wherever he went. They followed him through the halls, to his classes and even bothered him during meals.

The eighth year common room provided at least some relief. People from his year knew him well enough to ignore all that Saviour bullshit and treat him normally. And he didn't have to worry about girls trying to dose him with a love potion.

On the other hand sitting in the common room usually meant that he was faced with Dean and Seamus, who had nothing better to do than complain about their respective room-mates. Harry felt like he'd go mad if he had to hear one more time about how boring Anthony Goldstein was or that Zacharias Smith had a grudge on Dean for some reason and tried to rile him up by making a mess of their room.

And if Harry somehow managed to dodge those two, Neville would pop up, to make sure that he wasn't feeling lonely because: “You look sort of down today, Harry. Want to come down to the Greenhouses with me and visit the Venomous Tentacula? I'm sure it would cheer you up.”

Harry was pretty sure that getting attacked by a Venomous Tentacula wouldn't cheer him up, thank you very much. What would cheer him up was for his so-called friends to stop grating on his bloody nerves. But he could hardly say that, since he didn't want to hurt their feelings. So he tried avoiding them instead.

It wasn't a good idea for him to get angry. He knew that much. He hadn't had another outburst in the two weeks before coming to Hogwarts (aside from a few minor incidents with exploding dishes and the few times he'd trashed his bedroom during a nightmare) and he planned to keep it that way. 

He’d had a few more talks with Narcissa Malfoy and he’d also taken her advice and started a diary, which actually helped a lot more than he’d expected. But he didn’t think his problem was completely solved yet. So he usually fled to his room before someone managed to really piss him off.

Malfoy turned out to be surprisingly good company. They had seen each other regularly at Andromeda's and he would actually say that they were friends now. Harry appreciated the Slytherin's quick wit and wicked sense of humour. And his honesty, because only very few people were really honest with him these days. Even Neville seemed to be tiptoeing around him and Harry couldn't help but wonder what Hermione might have told the other boy.

It was one of those times when Harry had fled to his room, that Malfoy trudged in, cursing under his breath. The Gryffindor looked up just in time to see the blond removing his robes, which were stained with red and yellow splatters.

“What happened to you?”  
The blond sighed. “A bunch of idiots thought it would be fun to attack me with paint bombs.”  
Harry sat up straighter. “Did you recognize them? Have you told a teacher?”  
“A bunch of Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs.” Draco snorted in disgust. “So much for sweet and friendly Hufflepuffs, huh?”  
“Malfoy!”

Another sigh. “Seventh years. I don't know their names. And no, I haven't told a teacher.”  
“You need to report them.”  
“No, I don't.”  
“Yes, you do!” Harry insisted.  
“And what good will that do?”  
“They'll get punished.”  
“Right. And then they'll be pissed and have even more reason to attack me.”  
“But...”  
“Just leave it, okay? It's not like they don't have enough reasons to hate me.”

“You've changed. If I can see that, why can't they?”  
“I guess not everyone can be as forgiving as our Saviour.” the blond said sarcastically.  
“Don't call me that!” came the immediate protest.

Malfoy shrugged and gave up on trying to clean his robe. With another sigh he put it in the hamper so the house elves could take care of it. Deciding that the conversation was obviously over, Harry looked back down at the parchment in his lap.

“Have you finally read it then?”

He nodded without taking his eyes off the letter. It was the one Hermione had given to Andromeda, so she could pass it on to him. He'd carried it around ever since, but always put off reading it, a little afraid of what she'd written.

“Well, since our room isn't destroyed, I guess it wasn't so bad, huh?” the blond joked.  
“Maybe I'm just getting better at controlling my magic.”

It was clear to see that Malfoy didn't believe that, but instead of voicing his doubts he sat down in his desk chair so he was facing the younger boy.

“What does it say?” he wanted to know.

Harry fidgeted under the close scrutiny. “Hermione apologized. For leaving without saying goodbye and not telling me of their plans sooner … for a lot of stuff, really. She and Ron... they didn't really know how to help me. How to act around me. I guess it made them nervous. Mione usually knows everything.”

He smiled a little and looked back down at the letter again. “She also apologized for not inviting me along, but.. she thought it would be better this way. We haven't been apart for more than a couple of weeks in the past seven years. We shared pretty much everything and she felt that.. that maybe it was time for us to go separate ways for once. To learn to stand on our own and rely on ourselves.”

“Makes sense. If you ignore the fact that she took Weasley with her.” the Slytherin noted.  
“That's different. They're a couple now.” Harry argued, looking up again.  
“What do you mean, now? I thought they were dating through most of school.”  
“No, they actually only got together during the last battle.”

Malfoy looked genuinely surprised by those news. The younger boy figured that his two best friends had been a bit more obvious about fancying each other than they'd thought. Okay, so it had taken him a while to notice, despite spending most of his time with them. Then again, he'd never been the most perceptive when it came to relationships.

“I think they liked each other long before, but they just .. never took that step. And now they did and … if I'd gone with them, I would have been the fifth wheel. It would have been awkward. I think they need some time to themselves. And maybe I need time to myself as well. To … figure out where to go from here.” He sighed softly. “I get her reasoning. Really, I do. Doesn't mean I don't miss them.”

“You've still got Longbottom and the rest of your Gryffindor gang.” the blond reminded.  
“It's not the same.”  
“No, I guess it's not.”  
Harry hesitated for a moment. “Do you miss the other Slytherins?”  
“I miss Pansy.”

The softly spoken words made Harry feel cold for some reason. And it wasn't even that he hated Parkinson, despite her actions. She’d been scared and throwing him to Voldemort had sounded like an easy solution. They had all done what they'd had to. Shaking off the thought he focused his attention on Malfoy again.

“I guess a .. long distance relationship must be hard.” he muttered awkwardly.  
“What?”  
“I mean... you're still together, right?”  
The older boy frowned. “We were never a couple, if that's what you're thinking.”  
“Really?”  
“Yes, really.”  
“But... you acted like it.”

Malfoy sighed. “Maybe it looked like that to you, but there was nothing going on. Pansy is my best friend. She’s like a sister to me. And I'm … I've never really dated anyone.”

Harry had no idea why that admission cheered him up so much, but he couldn't deny that it did. He was probably just glad that he wasn't the only one with little experience here, he reasoned.

“So.. you only miss her, then? What about the others? Goyle or...”

Malfoy shrugged. “We were never really friends. Not like .. you, Weasley and Granger. I think the only real friend I have is Pansy.” he admitted. “Don't get me wrong, she can be a real bitch at times. But she's always been there for me. She always had my back.”

“Where is she now?”  
“Beauxbatons. Her parents figured it would be better to get her out of the country.”  
“And.. did you keep in touch? Does she like it there?”  
“She writes. And it's okay, I guess. At least better than Hogwarts would be.”

Harry had no doubt about that, although he couldn't imagine having to start over at a completely new school, with new people. And a different language on top of that.

“What about the other Slytherins? Did anyone else transfer to Beauxbatons?”  
“No. Millicent and Theo are at Durmstrang, I've heard. I have no idea what Goyle or Tracey are doing now. I haven't heard from any of them since the trials. Daphne might know more, but...” he trailed off.

“Why don't you try talking to her again? Or Zabini?” Harry wanted to know.  
“It wouldn't change anything. You've seen how people treat me.”  
“But...”  
“It's okay. Really. We were never all that close to begin with. At least Daphne and I weren't. And I don't mind being on my own. It's not like I ever had a lot of friends.”

The last sentence tore at Harry's heart. Because he still remembered all too well how it felt to have no friends. To be all alone.  
“You've got me. We're friends now, aren't we?”  
The blond looked genuinely surprised for a moment. But then he nodded thoughtfully.  
“I guess we are.”  
“Good. I like being your friend a lot better than being your enemy.”

This coaxed a laugh from the Slytherin. Harry smiled. He liked hearing that laugh. Malfoy was usually way too serious. He looked so much more approachable when he was smiling or laughing. More human and less … formal.

They were silent for a long moment, just looking at each other. The younger boy started fidgeting under that intense stare and averted his gaze, busying himself with folding the letter. He looked up in surprise when the blond suddenly got up from the chair and took a seat on the bed next to him.

“So... since we're friends now, can I discuss something with you? Without having to fear getting hexed?” he asked cautiously.  
Harry didn't like the sound of that. “Okay, I guess.” he said warily.

The Slytherin seemed to steel himself, taking a deep breath, before looking right at him.  
“I think you should cut back on the Dreamless Sleep.”  
The dark-haired boy blinked, caught by surprise.  
“H...how did you...?”  
His stammering earned him an eye-roll.  
“Come on, give me some credit. After all that you've been through, you're sleeping like a baby? Didn't take a genius to figure out why.”

“I have nightmares.” Harry defended himself.  
“Of course. So do I.”  
“Mine are bad.”  
“And you think mine aren't?” the blond asked, giving him an incredulous stare.

“No, but... at least yours don't make your magic whack out. You know, back at Grimmauld Place I slept in a room with nothing but a bed in it. And when I woke up from a nightmare, there were cracks in the walls and the bed covers were ripped. I just... I don't want to accidentally destroy all our stuff.”

“You won't if you ward your belongings. I can show you how. I did it with mine.”  
“You put wards on your stuff?” Harry asked with a frown.  
“Yes, of course.”  
“Is that a Slytherin thing?”  
“Not usually, but it might be now.” Malfoy mused.  
“What is that supposed to mean?”

“It means that everyone hates me, Potter. I wouldn't put it past some people to sneak in here and try to steal or destroy my belongings. So I took some precautions.”  
“I don't hate you.”  
The Slytherin rolled his eyes. “I know. But that's beside the point. Pretty much everyone else does. And don't try to change the subject.”

“You can't ward down everything.” Harry pointed out.  
“True. But we can ward the important things and fix the rest. I'm very good with repairing spells.”  
“But what if … what if I hurt you?”  
“You won't.”  
“You can't know that.” the younger boy insisted.  
“No, I can't. But I don't think you'll hurt me. And it's my risk to take. I could just as well hurt you. You know that I have nightmares too.”

Harry was still torn, but the Slytherin wouldn't back down.  
“You can get addicted to Dreamless Sleep, did you know that?” he asked.  
“Yeah, the healer told me.” Harry admitted.  
“And I guess the healer also told you that you're only allowed to take a certain dose, because it might affect your health if you take too much?”  
“He did.”

“Good. Then stop taking it.” Malfoy implored.  
“It's not that easy.”  
“I know that. But the potion won't help you in the long run. It's not fixing anything. It just represses the nightmares. You'll have to face your demons sooner or later.”  
“You sound like your mum.” the younger boy noted with a pout.  
“Guess she taught me well.” the blond countered.

Harry smiled, but he couldn't quite push his fear aside. He'd slept poorly for weeks, haunted by the faces of those who had died for him. He didn't want to experience that again. But he also knew that Malfoy was right. He couldn't take Dreamless Sleep forever.

He was surprised when the blond suddenly grabbed his hand.  
“I know what you're going through. I know it's hard. But you're not alone, okay?”  
“Okay.”


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for all the lovely reviews. And sorry for making you wait so long for the new chapter.  
Oh and Happy Halloween everyone.

Draco could tell exactly when Potter listened to his advice and stopped taking Dreamless Sleep. He was awoken in the middle of the night by the younger boy's terrified screams. The blond was out of bed and running to the other side of the room before he even fully realized what he was doing. He ducked as Potter's Potions book came hurtling towards him, narrowly avoided getting hit by a bottle of pumpkin juice and finally dropped down at the edge of the bed.

Potter was thrashing around wildly, as if fighting an invisible force.

“Hermione, no!” he wailed.

Draco grabbed his shoulders, giving him a firm shake.

“Potter, wake up! Potter!”

The younger boy fought against his grip, calling out for Weasley this time. Dust rained down from the ceiling, the whole bed shook and a large crack appeared in the window. Draco continued talking to Potter. To no avail.

“Potter, listen to me. Harry!”

The use of his given name finally did the trick. His eyes snapped open and he jerked upright, panting like he'd run a marathon. His eyes darted around in fright.

“It's okay. You had a nightmare. You're safe.”

Potter's eyes locked onto him. They looked different without his glasses. Draco had never known just what a vivid shade of green they were.

“It's okay. It was just a nightmare.” he assured again.

The Gryffindor finally seemed to realize where he was. His breathing eased somewhat and he nodded shakily. Then he slumped forward, resting his head on Draco's shoulder. The blond wrapped his arms around the younger boy automatically, stroking his back, murmuring nonsense assurances.

He had no idea how long they sat like this, until Potter pulled back, mumbling a meek: “Sorry.”

“Don't be. We both knew something like this was bound to happen. And it's okay.”

“Did I...?” the Gryffindor asked, staring around the room, though Draco doubted that he could see much without his glasses.

“Your Potions book went flying and you smashed a bottle of pumpkin juice. Which should probably teach you not to leave your stuff lying about. But that's it.” Draco claimed.

“Okay. And … I didn't hurt you, did I?”

“No, you didn't hurt me. I'm fine.”

“Good.”

Potter raked a hand through his hair, messing it up even more than usual. His breathing had evened out, but there was still a haunted look in his eyes.

“Do you want to talk about it? The nightmare, I mean. I found that it helps me.”

The younger boy shook his head. “No, I... I'd rather not.”

“Okay. Do you want me to sit with you until you fall asleep again?”

Potter looked surprised by the offer. And like he very much wanted to take him up on it. But after a slight hesitation he shook his head, mumbling “You don't have to.”

Draco rolled his eyes. “Don't be stupid. Lie down.” he ordered. He waited until the younger boy complied. Then he tucked him in and settled more comfortably on the bed. “Go back to sleep.”

“This is weird. You fussing over me.”

“Better get used to it. It's what I do for my friends.” the blond declared.

A small smile played over Potter's lips. He buried deeper under the covers and closed his eyes. “I like that we're friends now.” he whispered.

“Me too.” Draco whispered back.

His only reply was another smile, a bit bigger this time. After that they didn't talk any more. It took Potter some time to fall asleep again, but Draco didn't mind. He leaned against the bedpost and watched him until his breathing evened out. Then he got up, cast a quick Reparo at the window and vanished the remains of the broken bottle, before slipping back into his own bed.

***

Potter was very quiet the next morning. He kept glancing at Draco as if waiting for the Slytherin to make fun of him. When Draco didn't mention last night, he finally relaxed and they fell back into their usual routine.

Draco had noticed with some surprise that they spent quite a lot of time together these days. Potter had started following him through the halls and sitting next to him in most of the classes they shared. Which was pretty much every class aside from Arithmancy. Since so few of them had returned for their eighth year there was no need to split them into groups.

At first he had bristled at the transparent attempt to protect him from the other students and their bullying. But soon he'd realized that the Gryffindor was just as much protecting himself. Because whenever someone grated on his nerves (which happened rather frequently) he counted on Draco to help him keep his magic from lashing out. It was a give and take and therefore easier for the blond to accept.

The rest of the school seemed to have a much harder time accepting their new-formed friendship. The headmistress kept watching them warily, as if waiting for them to fall back into their old ways and start a fight. The other students were gossiping, coming up with the most ridiculous theories. Potter was imperiused, Potter was trying to turn him into a better person, Draco was paying or blackmailing Potter to play his friend... He'd heard that Finnegan had even started a betting pool.

So far no-one had approached the Slytherin openly or even asked him what was really going on, though Blaise kept giving him speculative glances. He didn't know if Potter had been questioned by his friends, but he doubted it. There had been no outbursts of magic and even though Potter was getting better at controlling his powers, the blond doubted that a talk like that would go down too well with the Gryffindor.

During meals they sat at their respective house tables and while most of the Slytherins still acted like Draco didn't even exist, at least a few of the first years were starting to warm up to him. They sat closer to him now and had no problem making eye contact. Some of them even talked to him. They were too young to really know him, so he suspected that they felt since he was friends with the Saviour, he couldn't be that bad.

He also noticed that while his popularity among his own house increased slightly, it seemed to be the opposite for Potter. In the first couple of days the Gryffindors had been crowded around him, while he sat in the centre. Now he had moved to the end of the table and sat a little apart from the others. People weren’t openly avoiding him, but they were certainly giving him space.

Most noticeable was the fact that he didn't sit with his usual group of friends any longer. Okay, Longbottom still remained faithfully at his side during most meals. Finnegan and Thomas however sat far away from him. And so did the Weasley girl. Draco noticed that she was actively avoiding Potter ever since they'd come back to Hogwarts. She wasn't exactly subtle about it. He wondered what had happened between them, but didn't dare ask.

***

Draco woke to Potter's screams again the next night and the night after that. He always got up, comforted the younger boy and sat with him until he fell asleep again. It was starting to become a pattern. Until it changed.

_Draco shivered in his sleeveless shirt, though only partly from the cold. His feet felt like lead and every instinct was screaming at him to run away. He wasn't sure if it was fear that kept him from bolting or the presence of Fenrir Greyback right behind him. The werewolf had a death grip on his shoulders and was pushing him forward._

_The blond kept his eyes trained on the polished marble floor as he was walked to his doom. He didn't want to see the faces of the other Death Eaters, gathered around to watch the spectacle. He didn’t want to see his mad, cackling aunt. Most of all he didn't want to look at his mother, standing pale and unmoving beside her deranged sister._

_Only when he was pulled to a stop did he raise his head. Red eyes stared down at him and he had to suppress another shudder at seeing the ugly, snake-like face so close._

“_Today you receive the great honour of joining my inner circle, young Malfoy. I have big plans for you. And now, give me your arm.” the hissing voice demanded._

_Before Draco could will his stiff muscles to move, Greyback grabbed his arm, roughly yanking it up. Cold hands touched him and then the Dark Lord's wand dug into his skin. Pain like he'd never known before flared up in Draco's arm and he screamed in agony..._

Draco jerked upright, an anguished scream dying on his lips. Strong arms wrapped around him, hugging him tight.

“It's okay. I've got you. You're safe.”

He rested his head on Potter's shoulder, glad for the offered comfort. The younger boy continued to murmur soothing words. When Draco felt like he could breathe normally again, he pulled back. Green eyes were gazing at him worriedly.

“Okay?”

“Yeah, I'm fine. Sorry for waking you.”

“Don't be. I woke you up with my nightmares three nights in a row.” Potter reminded.

“You couldn't help it.”

“And neither could you.”

Draco sighed softly. “True.” he had to admit. He leaned back against the headboard, raking a hand through his hair. “I dreamed of the night I was branded with the dark mark.”

A startled gasp made him cringe and look at the other boy apologetically. “Sorry. I shouldn't have mentioned that.”

“No, it's okay.” Potter assured. “You said talking about the dreams helps you, right?”

“It does. I find it easier to fall asleep again when I talk about it. But I don't want to make you uncomfortable.”

“You're not. Go ahead. Tell me about the nightmare.”

The blond was still a little doubtful, but Potter made himself comfortable on the edge of the mattress and gave him an expectant look.

“It felt too real. It always does. I want to forget that night, but I remember it all too clearly. The other Death Eaters, who were gathered around to watch. The fear and sadness in mother's eyes. Bellatrix cackling madly, obviously enjoying the show... Most of all I remember his ugly face, staring down at me. How he grabbed my arm and … and branded me.”

He looked down at his left arm and shivered. The mark had faded to a grey blur, but it was still there. It would always be there, to remind him of his mistakes. He hated looking at it and did his best to keep it covered all the time. He only wore short sleeves to bed these days.

Draco shivered when Potter suddenly reached out, trailing his fingers over the faded mark. No-one had ever dared to touch it before. People shied away from just looking at it. Even his own mother. But Potter seemed to have no such reservations. He was stroking the abused skin almost tenderly.

“Did it hurt?” he wanted to know.

“Worse than a Cruciatus.”

“Does it still hurt?”

“No. Not since he... since he's been gone.”

“Good.”

They sat in silence for a moment. Potter continued trailing his fingers over the mark thoughtfully. Draco wondered if he even knew that he was doing it.

“You can't even tell what it was supposed to look like any more.” the dark-haired boy noted suddenly.

“People will always remember. I will always remember.”

“Maybe it will fade completely one day.”

“I don't think it will. It will always be there as a visible reminder of my mistakes.”

Potter finally looked up at him again.

“It doesn't define you.” he argued.

“People will always look at it and know that I'm a Death Eater.”

“People need to learn to move on.” the Gryffindor grumbled. “We all make mistakes. That's okay, as long as we learn from them. I think what you do in the future is more important than what you did in the past. Yes, you were a Death Eater. And a giant prat. But you're different now.”

“Not many people will see that.”

“I see it. And others will see it, too.”

“You're a fool, Potter.” Draco said with a smile. “But just this once, I want to believe that you're right.”

“Of course I'm right. You'll see.”


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone, I'm back with the new chapter. Hope you'll like it. I'm also introducing two original characters this time, who might make a few more appearances in the future.

By the end of October the students and teachers of Hogwarts had fully slipped back into the familiar routine and it was almost as if nothing had happened. At least it looked that way to Draco. Students moaned about homework, lost or earned house points and got excited about Quidditch. Couples got together or broke up. People fought and got detentions. House rivalries were as strong as ever, with the only noticeable change that Slytherins tended to get bullied more often these days.

Draco sometimes wondered if he was really the only one who still had a hard time adjusting. The only one who still felt the effects of the war so strongly. The only one who still battled his memories and frequent nightmares. Well, the only one besides Harry, of course.

That was another thing that was strange and out of the ordinary. Somehow over the course of the last few weeks Potter had become Harry. They really were friends now. And on most days it felt like Harry was the only one who really understood him. They had so much in common. It was crazy how he'd never noticed before. And yet even more crazy that they had ended up as friends after everything.

Draco had never had many friends in his life. Crabbe and Goyle had mostly been his lackeys, following him around and obeying his orders because their fathers had expected it of them. Then there was Blaise of course, but as Harry had pointed out, a true friend wouldn't abandon him to save his own reputation. So that left Pansy as his only real friend. He still missed her terribly, but she was doing well in Beauxbatons. She sounded happy in her letters and Draco was glad for her.

At least he had Harry, even if he couldn't talk about fashion with the Gryffindor and sometimes had trouble understanding the weird Muggle phrases he kept sprouting. There were enough other topics they could discuss and Harry always explained the Muggle stuff when he noticed Draco giving him blank looks.

The important thing was that he could actually rely on Harry. He could trust him. And Harry trusted him in return. The nightmares were slowly becoming fewer, but there were still enough nights where one of them would wake the other with his screams. They had gotten used to comforting each other by now. Harry had even started talking about his nightmares, albeit reluctantly and without going into detail. Draco had learned not to push.

They still spent a lot of their time holed up in their room, hidden away from the people who wanted to worship Harry and curse Draco. Sometimes they went for walks through the castle grounds or they would grab their brooms and race around the Quidditch pitch or play a seekers game. The competition between them was still strong, despite their new-found friendship. Draco felt elated every time he managed to beat Harry to the snitch.

"You still haven't put up the ornaments."

The dreamy voice startled Draco out of his musings. He looked up to find Luna standing in the doorway, eyeing his bed critically. She frequently found her way into the eighth year quarters and always barged into their room without knocking. He was slowly getting used to it.

"We haven't managed to get out and buy some yet. It's still a bit early for Christmas ornaments." he pointed out.

"Make sure to get some soon. I sensed a Wrackspurt in the room just now. It had obviously gotten you."

"Obviously." Draco agreed.

"We should go for a walk." Luna abruptly changed the topic.

"Okay."

Taking a walk with Luna was still better than sitting around on his bed and brooding. She seemed to be the only one aside from Harry and a few Slytherin first years who didn't mind being seen with him and he found that he quite enjoyed talking to her. She was a bit like her father's magazine, he mused. If you looked past the weirdness, there was a sharp mind and interesting opinions.

They left the castle and walked along the lake. It had gotten cold already, but today the sun was shining and there was only a light breeze.

"Where's Harry? He's usually hiding in your room with you."

"We're not hiding." Draco objected, though that was exactly what they were doing. "And he's visiting Hagrid."

He wondered how that was going. The last visit had ended with Harry's errant magic almost blowing up Hagrid's hut. Draco hoped the half-giant had learned his lesson and was smart enough not to mention Weasley and Granger this time.

"That's good. He should go out more. And so should you."

"We go out plenty." the Slytherin argued.

"You weren't in Hogsmeade last weekend." Luna pointed out.

"Didn't feel like it."

It was bad enough that some of the other students were still glaring at him. He didn't need to subject himself to even more people who hated him and felt that he'd gotten off too lightly. Also Hogsmeade might mean facing Madame Rosmerta and Draco didn't think he was ready for that confrontation quite yet.

"You should take Harry out tomorrow. It would cheer him up."

Draco was about to ask why Harry needed cheering up, when he remembered the date. Tomorrow was Halloween. The day the dark lord had murdered Harry's parents. Which explained why the Gryffindor had been so subdued today. And it would only get worse tomorrow.

"You're probably right." he agreed with a sigh.

***

When Draco returned to his room, Harry was lying on his bed, staring up at the red canopy. Maybe it was the fact that Luna had reminded him of the date, but Draco thought he looked sad. He felt disgusted with himself when he remembered all those times in the past where he'd made fun of the Gryffindor being an orphan. Only when the dark lord had threatened his own parents had he realized how horrible it must've been for the younger boy.

"How was your visit?"

"Fine." Harry said without moving.

"Did you blow up the hut?" Draco inquired, hoping for a reaction.

"No, it was fine."

The Gryffindor still hadn't moved from his spot. Was still staring at the canopy of his bed. Draco was struck with the sudden urge to cheer him up.

"I was out by the lake with Luna."

No reaction.

"We went looking for Blubbering Humdingers."

Nothing.

"But we only encountered some Nargles."

Still nothing. Not even a smile.

With a sigh the blond gave up and dropped onto his own bed. Luna was right. He needed to get Harry out of here. At least for a few hours tomorrow. Maybe they could visit Hogsmeade. It was Saturday and as eighth years they had certain privileges. They would only need to get permission from a teacher.

Sure, he didn't want to visit Hogsmeade. But he could endure a few glares and hissed threats if it got Harry out of his funk. On the other hand, would it really help? Or would it just depress him more? But what else could they do?

He spent the rest of the day racking his brain for ideas. Harry didn't seem to mind his silence. He didn't move from his bed and even skipped dinner, claiming he'd eaten at Hagrid's and wasn't hungry. Draco knew it was a lie. Harry had told him how inedible Hagrid's food was. But he didn't call him on his bullshit. Instead he sulked through dinner, doing his best to be nice to the little Slytherins who surrounded him. A few of the first years had gotten strangely fond of him by now.

Inspiration finally struck when he was leaving the great hall and remembered something Harry had told him a while ago. He hesitated, wondering if it was really such a good idea. When he saw the headmistress leaving the hall, he shrugged and decided to risk it.

"Headmistress McGonagall?"

She looked surprised by his approach. "Yes, Mr. Malfoy?"

"Could I talk to you for a moment? I... have a request."

This seemed to surprise her even more, but she recovered quickly and nodded.

"Of course. If you will follow me to my office..."

***

Draco barely slept that night. And not only because of Harry's nightmares, which seemed to be especially bad. The Gryffindor refused to talk about them, but Draco could already guess what they were about. So he sat with Harry and murmured soothing nonsense until the younger boy fell asleep again. And all the while he kept wondering if his brilliant idea had really been so brilliant after all.

What if Harry hated the idea? What if he got angry? What if it made things even worse? Draco was scared of doing it all wrong and hurting the younger boy in the process. But it was too late to turn back now. He'd already discussed it with McGonagall and had gotten her approval.

He took even longer than usual in the bathroom the next morning, but when he came back to their room, Harry was still in bed and making no move to get up. Draco considered asking him to come down for breakfast, but then decided against it and went alone instead.

Alice, one of the Slytherin first years, eyed him critically when he started preparing another plate after finishing his own.

"You're really hungry today, huh?" she commented.

Draco smiled at her. "That's for my roommate. He's .. not feeling well."

"You should bring him hot chocolate. That always cheers me up when I'm sick." the little boy next to her piped up.

"That's a good idea. Thanks, Derek."

"And more sausages. He always eats a lot of those." Alice advised.

Draco wondered if she watched Harry as obsessively as he'd always done to notice these things. Maybe she was a fan.

"It's creepy to know something like that." Derek said.

"It's not. I'm merely good at observing the other houses. Not my fault you're less perceptive than I am." Alice claimed.

Draco had to stifle a chuckle. When they had first started talking to him, she had asked him why he kept staring at Harry. And Draco had told her that he wasn't staring. He was merely observing the other houses, as any good Slytherin would. Seemed like she had listened quite well.

"I am perceptive!" Derek complained. "I know that Luna Lovegood frequently sits at other house tables than her own. And she's the only one who does that."

"Oh please, everyone knows that." Alice claimed.

She was right about that, Draco supposed. Luna kept joining him at the Slytherin table, too. Derek seemed fascinated by her, while the other first years didn't really know what to make of her.

"You're both very perceptive." he cut in, hoping to stop them from getting into another fight. Those two were always bickering it seemed. His tactic worked and they both beamed at him, before starting a discussion about their latest charms homework. Draco used the opportunity to sneak off, though he was sure that Alice noticed. She really was a perceptive little thing, he had to give her that.

This time when he got back to their room, Harry was sitting on his bed, staring off into space. Draco hated seeing him like this and vowed to do his best to help him through this day.

"Here, I brought you breakfast. Eat up and then get dressed. We've got plans today."

Harry looked up at him surprise. He didn't touch his food.

"Plans?"

"Yes. We're going out."

"Sorry, I don't really feel like going out today."

The answer sounded final. Draco sighed.

"I can't even imagine how you're feeling today. And I won't pretend that I can. But sitting here all day isn't going to make it better."

"Oh really? And how did you figure that out? If you can't imagine how I feel?" the Gryffindor spat.

Draco did his best to stay calm. Not to rise to the bait, however tempted he may be. Harry was hurting, that was all. He was lashing out at Draco because he was there.

"I talked to McGonagall. She gave us permission to leave the castle grounds, as long as we're back in time for dinner." He took a deep breath and finally voiced his brilliant idea. "I thought we could visit Godric's Hollow."

And just like that the fight drained out of Harry. He stared at Draco like he was seeing him for the first time. The Slytherin couldn't tell if he was angry or not. He was getting nervous and started babbling.

"You said you only visited your parent's grave once, when you were on the run from the dark lord. So I thought... maybe you'd like to visit today? We don't have to, of course. Or I can stay here, if you'd rather..."

He trailed off when the Gryffindor got up, almost expecting Harry to punch him. Instead he was pulled into a tight hug.

"You'll come with me?" Harry asked, pulling back.

"If you want me to."

"I want you to."

"Okay. But first you need to eat. And then you need to get dressed."

The Gryffindor smiled and grabbed his plate. Draco felt ridiculously proud of himself. Maybe his idea hadn't been so stupid after all.

***

Godric's Hollow wasn't what Draco would have expected. Not that he'd really known what to expect. It was a quiet, picturesque little village, with only a few small shops, a pub and a church. Despite today being a Saturday there weren't many people around, for which he was glad. Harry was wearing a hoody, which covered his hair and partially hid his face and Draco had put on a hat to hide his hair, but on closer inspection their disguise wasn't fooling anyone. Luckily no-one seemed inclined to take a closer look and they were left alone. It seemed like strange visitors were a common occurrence here.

Their first stop was the cottage where Harry's parents had died. Draco was shocked that people had decided to leave the ruin standing and even put up a sign. His shock grew when he realized how many people had visited the site. It seemed morbid to him for strangers to come and have a look at the destroyed house. The graffiti and well-wishes they had left behind made him shudder. But they also explained why no-one gave them a second look. People thought they were just another pair of tourists.

Somehow the monument was even worse. A life-size statue of James and Lily Potter, with baby Harry cradled in her arms, dominated the village centre. Harry stared at it for a long time before finally leading him to the graveyard.

After seeing the house and the statue, Draco was surprised by how ordinary the grave looked. The marble headstone was beautiful, but he had almost anticipated a tomb like Dumbledore’s or another statue of some kind. The grave was bare, save for a withered wreath of Christmas roses.

"Hermione conjured that. When we were here." Harry let him know. “I’m surprised it’s still there.”

"Is it okay if I vanish it?" Draco checked.

"Sure."

The blond bent down to vanish the old wreath and conjure a beautiful bouquet instead. When he got back up, Harry gave him a slight smile. “Thanks.”

For a long while they just stood there, side by side, staring at the grave. Draco had expected Harry to say something, talk to his parents, but he was completely silent. Maybe he didn't want to say it out loud, the blond mused. Maybe he was talking to his parents, but only in his head.

His eyes roamed over the headstone again. He suddenly felt sad that Harry had never really gotten to know his parents. That he had never gotten to know Harry's parents. He wondered what kind of people they might have been. Brave like their son, there was no doubt about that. And Lily Potter must have been very smart. Brilliant at potions. He'd heard Slughorn gushing about her often enough.

_"Your son is a good man."_ he thought, staring at their names engraved on the white marble. _"You would be so proud of him."_

Next to him Harry sniffled.

"Are you okay?" Draco asked softly.

"I miss them." It was said in a whisper.

"I know."

Harry sniffled again. Draco put an arm around his shoulders and the younger boy leaned against him. The blond's eyes strayed back to the gravestone. _"Don't worry. I'll take care of him."_ he vowed silently.

***

Draco had no idea how much time they spent on the graveyard, but the sun had risen considerably higher when they left it and his stomach growled. Harry, who was discreetly trying to wipe away the tear-tracks on his face, laughed when the Slytherin pulled a box of sandwiches and two bottles of pumpkin juice out of his bag.

"You really thought of everything, haven't you?" he teased.

"Of course I have." the blond replied.

They found a quiet bench where they could eat without being disturbed. Then they left the little village and strolled through the countryside, while Harry told Draco stories about his parents. About his father and the pranks he'd pulled, or how he and his friends had secretly become animagi, so they could stay with professor Lupin during the full moon. And about his mother and her friendship with Snape.

It was already getting late when they finally ended up on the bench again, sitting quietly side by side, both not ready to head back just yet. They still had a little time before dinner.

"Thank you." Harry broke the silence.

"Anytime." Draco said just as quietly.

Harry scooted closer and rested his head on Draco's shoulder, as they continued to watch the sunset together. The silence was comfortable and the blond felt like he could sit here forever. He couldn't help but wonder, though, why he could never be happy with what he got. For years he had wanted Harry's friendship. And now that he finally had it, it still wasn't enough. No, of course now he had to realize that he wanted more than just friendship.

He couldn't pin-point when exactly he'd started falling for the Gryffindor. He had the sneaking suspicion that these feelings had been there for quite some time, buried beneath denial and hurt pride. He had just never wanted to admit it. Not even to himself. But now, with Harry a constant presence in his life, he could deny it no longer. He'd fallen and he'd fallen hard.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again thanks for all the lovely comments. They really brightened my days. And I managed a longer chapter this time. Hope you'll like it.

"What are you doing on Christmas?"

Draco looked up from his book in surprise. Harry figured that maybe it was a bit soon to ask. It was only the middle of November after all. But he felt like he had to decide what he wanted to do. And since he had no idea what to do he figured asking the blond for his opinion couldn’t hurt.

"I'm spending it with mother and aunt Andromeda, I guess." the Slytherin said with a shrug. "Though I hope to meet up with Pansy as well. She's coming home for Christmas."

Harry did his best to trample down the irrational surge of jealousy he felt whenever Draco mentioned Parkinson. He knew that the blond missed her and he really wanted to be happy that they'd get to see each other again. He didn't even know why the thought of the Slytherin girl infuriated him so. It wasn't like he had to compete with her or something. He and Draco were friends as well. Close friends even.

"What are your plans?" Draco wanted to know.  
"I don't know yet. Andromeda invited me, too. And so did Mrs. Weasley. I'm not really sure what to do." the Gryffindor admitted.  
"You spent the last few years with the Weasleys, didn't you?"  
"I did. And I always loved it. But now it's... I don't know. It's complicated."  
"You're still mad at Weasley and Granger for abandoning you?"

"No, it's not that. I think it'll be good to see them again, even if it's not going to be easy. It's just.... It didn't feel comfortable any more, when I was staying with the Weasleys over the summer. Not after ... everything." He shrugged helplessly, not sure how to explain.

Luckily Draco seemed to understand. "The war changed things for all of us. And the Weasleys lost a son. That must be horrible. Especially during the holiday season."

Harry hadn't even thought of that yet. But Draco was right. Fred's absence would be even more pronounced on Christmas than it had been during the summer. Which made his predicament even worse.

"What am I supposed to do? On one hand I feel like I owe it to them to show up. On the other hand it feels like I'd be intruding now. Like I don't really belong there. I .. I haven't really been in touch with any of them in the last couple of months. I didn't even answer the letter Mrs. Weasley sent me at the start of term. And... things with me and Ginny ended pretty badly."

It was the first time he'd brought up his failed relationship. Truth be told, he hadn't given it too much thought lately. Ginny seemed to be avoiding him, which was just fine. Luna had told him that she was seeing Justin Finch-Fletchley now. And Harry hadn't felt the slightest bit shaken at the news. Not even a tiny bit jealous. That showed him more than anything that he'd been right in his decision to break up with Ginny for good.

"I believe they still consider you part of the family, even if you're not planning on marrying their daughter." Draco mused. "But if you feel uncomfortable joining them for Christmas, then you shouldn't do it. No matter what you think, you don't owe them anything."

Harry disagreed. He owed them so much. The Weasleys had taken him in, had treated him like a family member. They had always been kind to him. They felt more like family than his Muggle relatives ever had. But he didn’t know how to put his feelings into words. He’d never been good at talking about feelings.

“Why don’t you try a compromise?” Draco suggested.  
“A compromise?”  
“Well, if you feel that you need to visit the Weasleys, but you don’t really want to spend the whole break with them, you could just drop by for a day or two and spend the rest of Christmas break at Andromedas.”

Harry thought about it for a moment. It sounded like a pretty good solution. Of course Mrs. Weasley wouldn’t be happy, but it was at least better than not going at all. And if it went better than expected, he could always stay longer.

“I guess that could work.” he agreed finally. “I mean, Mrs. Weasley won’t be pleased, but it’s worth a try.”  
“You can always tell her you want to spend more time with Teddy. Be a decent godfather and all that.”  
“You want me to use my godson as excuse?”  
Draco shrugged. “Why not? Whatever works.”

Harry muttered “Slytherin” under his breath, but he couldn’t deny that the idea had its merits. No-one could fault him for wanting to spend time with his godson, especially at Christmas. And the Weasleys probably knew how much he wanted to be there for the boy. How responsible he felt for the deaths of Remus and Tonks.

“I heard that.” Draco complained.  
“Heard what?”  
“You know, for someone who was almost sorted into Slytherin, you sure still have a lot of prejudice against my house.”  
“I never said being in Slytherin was a bad thing.” Harry claimed. When the blond just gave him a pointed stare, he conceded: “At least not lately.”  
“Fair enough.”

The discussion obviously over, Draco went back to his book. Harry watched him for a moment, though he couldn’t tell why. He just liked watching the blond read for some reason. He always seemed so engrossed in his books. Finally he shook his head and focused his gaze back on his Charms homework. It was due tomorrow and he wasn’t even halfway finished.

He still wasn’t finished an hour later, when Draco announced that he was heading down to dinner.  
“Good idea. I’ll never get that stupid paper done anyway.” Harry grumbled, getting up to join the blond.  
“Your own fault for leaving it so late again.” Draco admonished.  
“I forgot.”

The Slytherin shook his head with a grin. “You should concentrate a bit more on your schoolwork, now that Granger isn’t here to force you to study.”  
The thought of Hermione’s absence still stung, but it was getting better. “I’ve got you for that now, haven’t I?”

And indeed he did. He’d been surprised at first, but Draco took studying very seriously. There was a reason why he’d always been top of most classes, right behind Hermione. Harry had just never cared enough to notice. Maybe he hadn’t wanted to see it, since it wouldn’t have fit with the picture of the evil, spoiled brat he’d had.

“Maybe I should get you a homework planner for Christmas.” the blond mused.  
“Not funny.” Harry complained with a pout.  
“It would be a very useful present…”  
“It would be a horrible present, you git.”  
“I’ll be sure to let Granger know.”

He really needed to stop telling Draco so much, Harry chided himself. He should know by now that the blond would use it against him, even if only in jest.

“Do that. Hermione knows what I thought of that present.” he claimed, though he wasn’t really sure. He’d never had the guts to tell her.  
Draco chuckled, but took pity on him. “Don’t worry, I’m very good at choosing presents. You’re going to love yours.” he promised.

Strangely enough, Harry was pretty sure that he would. Draco knew him so well. And he was very thoughtful. Their impromptu trip on Halloween had proven that. Which also meant that he had to pick a thoughtful present for the blond as well. And that wouldn't be easy at all.

They parted ways inside the great hall, heading for their respective house tables. A few people still stared at them, but most of the other students had finally gotten used to seeing them together. Even the glares directed at Draco had lessened. Just like the open hostility towards Slytherin. Although Harry was pretty sure that most people just weren’t openly hostile any more, but secretly still called the Slytherins Death Eaters and other evil names. McGonagall was very strict about her idea of inter house unity and there had been a startling lot of detentions during the first couple of weeks, when people had felt justified to attack anyone wearing the green and silver of Slytherin.

Harry had been shocked that this had even included the Gryffindors. He’d had words with Seamus, after he’d caught the Irishman using a tripping hex on an unsuspecting Slytherin seventh year. When Seamus had complained that he boy’d had it coming, because he’d once tortured Seamus during the Carrows reign, Harry had simply told him that it had been the Carrow’s fault and not the boy’s.

Things between him and Seamus had been strained ever since. And of course Dean had readily taken Seamus’ side. Harry could feel them staring at him even now, as he made his way to the Gryffindor table. He took a seat at the very end of the table, as he always did these days. Most people from his house had learned not to bother him. As had the fan-girls, once McGonagall had started giving them detentions for pestering Harry.

He loaded his plate and cast a quick look at the Slytherin table, where Draco was surrounded by the usual bunch of first years. They had taken a liking to him and the Gryffindor loved watching him interact with the kids. He was surprisingly patient. As Harry watched, Luna joined Draco at the Slytherin table and the two started talking. She did that quite often. During breakfast she had been sitting with the Gryffindors.

He only looked away when Neville took a seat next to him. The other Gryffindor was pretty much the only one who still sat with him. Harry didn’t know where Neville stood with Dean and Seamus, but he frequently saw the three of them together. So he figured that Neville had obviously decided to stay out of their quarrel, or whatever this was.

“Did you hear? Anthony is organizing a party in the common room tomorrow night.”  
Harry looked at the other boy in surprise. “No, I haven’t heard.”  
“You’ll come, won’t you?” Neville asked.  
“I don’t know if that’s such a good idea…”  
“Come on, Harry. It’ll be fun. He even got McGonagall to give her okay. You have to come. For the sake of inter-house-unity.”  
Harry snorted. “Inter-house-unity? Really? So it would be okay if I brought Draco?”

Neville gave him a strange look he couldn’t quite decipher, but finally he sighed. “Of course it’ll be okay. All the eighth years are invited. That includes the Slytherins.”  
“From what I’ve seen so far, people don’t like including Slytherins in anything.” Harry grumbled.  
“At first it was like that. But things are changing.” Neville claimed.  
“Are they?”

“Of course they are. You’d know that, if you stopped hiding in your room and avoiding people all the time.” Despite his usually easy-going nature, Neville could be very blunt when he wanted to be. It always took Harry by surprise. “Did you know that Lavender is friends with Daphne Greengrass now? They’re always sitting in the common room together, giggling and gossiping.”

No, Harry didn’t know. He still didn’t spend much time in the eighth year common room. The only thing he had noticed was that Neville had started dating Hannah Abbott. Though, now that he thought about it, he hadn’t actually noticed that either. Neville had told him, with a stupid grin on his face.

“And Blaise Zabini will play chess with anyone who challenges him. Even Dean got his head out of his arse and had a match with him last week.”

Harry scowled at the mention of Zabini. He was still angry at him for just abandoning Draco like that. What kind of friend did that? The Slytherin was probably only playing nice with Dean and the others to increase his social standing. But he refrained from voicing that thought to Neville, knowing it would do no good.

“So… you’re coming to the party, right?” the other Gryffindor needled.  
“Fine, I’ll come. But don’t expect me to stay long.” Harry gave in.

There was just no arguing with Neville when he was on a mission. Harry didn’t like being around a lot of people, especially since his powers had started going crazy. But there had been no outbursts lately, so maybe he was finally getting better. And maybe it would be fun. Now he just had to convince Draco to come, too.

***

“Harry, truth or dare?”  
Eyeing Lisa critically, Harry settled for “Dare.”  
“I dare you to go up to Ravenclaw tower and steal a cushion from the common room.”

Her words were met with laughter and even a few cheers. Michael Corner was especially vocal about egging him on. Rolling his eyes the Gryffindor struggled to his feet and started to make his way out of the common room.

So far the party was going better than expected. Aside from a few dirty looks, no-one had been openly hostile to Draco. Or the other two Slytherins for that matter. Neville had actually been right about Daphne and Lavender being friends. The two girls seemed pretty close.

At first everyone had just sat around, listened to some music and snacked on the food Goldstein had provided. A few people had even started dancing or playing games as the evening progressed. Harry and Draco had mostly sat on a couch and watched the others, with the blond providing a quiet and very funny commentary.

But in the end even they had been roped into playing truth or dare with the rest of their peers. And it was okay. Fun even. People took silly dares and asked stupid, awkward questions. And even if he had no desire to talk about his (non-existent) sex-life or flash his naked bum to the others, Harry had slowly started relaxing. 

This dare wasn’t half-bad either. It took a few tries to finally find the right answer that would get him into the Ravenclaw common room, but once he was inside, he simply claimed he was there to see Luna. She was very understanding when he told her about the dare and handed him a cushion. After telling him an outrageous story about the cushion coming to live if it wasn’t returned by morning and warning him about the Nargles lurking in the hallway, she sent him on his way.

His dare completed he finally returned to the eighth year dorm, where he was met with smattering applause and a few jeers. But something wasn’t right and it didn’t take him long to figure out what.

“Where’s Draco?”  
“He went to bed. Said he was tired.” Michael Corner answered quickly.

Dean and Seamus nodded, but something still felt off to Harry. Zabini had a strange look on his face and the Greengrass girl wouldn’t meet his eyes. Neither would Lavender or Hannah Abbott. Lisa Turpin was shifting nervously. And Neville had vanished as well.

“Okay. I think I’m heading to bed, too.” Harry finally decided, when no-one said anything else.  
“Of course you are.” Seamus muttered under his breath.  
“What was that, Seamus?”  
“I said of course you are.” the Irishman repeated defiantly.  
“And what’s that supposed to mean?”  
“Can’t do anything without your pet Slytherin these days, can you?”

Harry felt like he’d been slapped. “Don’t call him that!”  
“What should I call him, then? Your puppy? Charity project? … Boyfriend?”  
“Shut your bloody mouth, Seamus!” Harry roared.  
“Why should I?” Seamus asked challengingly.

“Seamus, please leave it.” Hannah Abbott tried to intervene.   
“Stay out of it. This is a thing between mates.” the Irishman claimed. “At least I thought we were mates.”  
“Exactly.” Dean backed him up. “Harry used to be our friend. And now he’s pushing us aside for a bloody death eater. And I’d really love to know why.”

“Potter!” Zabinin hissed, giving him a pointed glare. Only then did Harry realize that the bottles on the little table at the side had started rattling. One rolled off the table and splintered before it even reached the ground. Most people just looked surprised and didn’t seem to make the connection, too focused on Seamus and Dean and the spectacle they were making. But Zabini obviously had. Bloody perceptive Slytherins.

Harry reigned in his temper as best as he could, trying not to panic. “Maybe I’ve finally learned to choose my friends more wisely.” he spat at the other two Gryffindors, before stalking off towards the boys dorms. Once he was out of sight he leaned against the wall and took a few deep breaths to calm himself. That had been way too close. A minute more and his magic would have lashed out. And things had been going so well lately.

Draco was already lying in bed when Harry finally entered their room. He didn’t seem to be sleeping, but he didn’t acknowledge the other boy either.

“Hey, are you okay?” Harry asked cautiously.  
“Hmm.. just tired.” came the muffled reply.  
The Gryffindor again got the feeling that something was off, but he didn’t want to prod, so he just changed into his pyjamas and went to bed as well.

***

“No! Don’t want… Father, please…”

Harry sat bolt upright in bed. He got up and padded to the other side of the room before he even fully knew what he was doing. Comforting Draco when he had a nightmare had become instinct by now.

The blond was thrashing around, whimpering softly. He was tangled in his bedsheets and his sweat-soaked hair clung to his forehead. Harry laid a cautious hand on his shoulder, giving him a light shake.

“Draco? Wake up. You’re having a nightmare.”

The Slytherin whimpered and jerked away from the touch. He struggled against the tangled bedsheets, throwing them to the floor in the process. Once free of that obstacle he brought his hands up and tried to push Harry away. The dark-haired boy caught the flailing hands and gave him another shake, a bit harder this time.

“Wake up, Draco. It’s me. You’re safe.” he intoned. 

Usually just hearing his voice was enough to get the older boy to wake up. But not today. Again he fought against Harry’s grip, muttering broken, nonsense words and getting more agitated by the second. Harry tried his hardest not to panic and think clearly. This had never happened before. Usually his own nightmares were much worse than Draco’s.

But then he remembered something the blond had told him. Harry had been embarrassed by a particularly bad nightmare and hadn’t believed Draco’s assurances that he understood. The blond had confessed that his own nightmares had been a lot worse last year.

>Usually Blaise would shake me awake and we would both pretend nothing had happened the next day.< Draco had said. >But there were nights when he couldn’t get me awake. Where I was too caught up in the nightmare to fully snap out of it. Those nights he usually fetched Pansy and she would crawl into bed with me and hold me until I calmed down.<

Well, Harry couldn’t get Parkinson here. But holding Draco he could do. He grabbed the discarded sheets from the floor, got on the bed and spread the bedding over both of them. Then he pulled the blond into his arms, so they were back to chest. Draco struggled against him at first, but when Harry didn’t relinquish his hold he slowly relaxed into the embrace.

“That’s it. I’ve got you, Draco. I’m here. You’re safe.”

He kept up a litany of soothing words until the Slytherin finally calmed down and his erratic breathing evened out. Harry sighed in relief, but didn’t dare loosen his hold just yet. He knew that he should return to his own bed soon, but he didn’t want Draco to slip back into the nightmare. There was no harm in staying like this a little longer, he reasoned. And also no harm in closing his eyes for a moment…


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again thanks for all the lovely comments. And sorry for making you wait so long. I hope the new chapter makes up for it.

Draco woke slowly, blinking in the dim half-light. His mind was sluggish and his limbs felt heavy. Both tell-tale signs that he must’ve had a really bad nightmare. He concentrated on his breathing for a moment before taking stock of his surroundings. He was in his dorm at Hogwarts. It was Saturday. And there was someone in bed with him.

The last fact made him freeze. Now that he was coming a little more awake he was all too aware of the warm body pressed against his back. The distinctly male, warm body. Oh Merlin, what had he done last night? His mind was blank and he was close to panicking when his gaze landed on the arm his bed-partner had thrown over his waist. Or more specifically the hand attached to that arm. Because there were scars on that hand. Very familiar scars.

“Harry?”

It came out more squeaky than he would have liked, but it did the trick. Harry stirred, muttering something unintelligible and cuddling even closer for a moment. Then he seemed to realize where he was (and who he was poking with his morning wood) and shot up like burned.

“Draco! Shit! I….”

Draco turned to face him and had to fight a smile. Harry’s hair was sticking up in weird angles and he was blushing profusely, looking anywhere but at the blond.

“Why are you in my bed?” Not that he really minded that fact, but…  
“It’s not.. I was just…” the younger boy stammered, before yelping: “You were having a nightmare!”  
“I was…”  
“And I couldn’t get you to wake up. And you said Parkinson would hold you when that happened, so I did that and it helped, but… I didn’t mean to fall asleep. I’m sorry.” Harry ended meekly.

Draco took a moment to process that information. Yes, he’d already guessed that the nightmare must’ve been pretty bad. And now the memory of last night was slowly returning, of the party and that bloody game…

“It’s fine, Harry. You don’t need to apologize.” he assured.  
“I really didn’t mean to fall asleep.”  
“It’s okay, really. I know how I get when the nightmares are that bad.”  
“So… you’re not… mad at me?” Harry asked cautiously.

“Why would I be mad? You helped me.” Draco pointed out. “I was just surprised and only half-awake. Sorry if that sounded like an accusation earlier.” He snapped his mouth shut before he could blurt something like “I wouldn’t mind finding you in my bed more often.” He wanted to calm Harry’s nerves, not make him freak out even more.

“Oh. Okay. Sorry. I was just… I didn’t know if it was okay. I mean, I know we hug and stuff, but…”  
“It’s okay, Harry. Really. Stop apologizing. It’s not that different than sitting with me until I fall asleep again, is it?”  
“Yeah, guess it is.”

Harry glanced down at his own lap (thankfully still covered by the blanket) and blushed again. Draco didn’t have to be a Legilimens to know what he was thinking. Trying to diffuse the awkward tension between them he quipped: “Actually… being cuddled by you was nicer than when Pansy did it. She’d always tickle me when I finally woke up, trying to get me to smile.”

His tactic worked and Harry grinned, giving him a calculating look. “You’re ticklish?”  
“Don’t even think about it, Potter.”  
The younger boy chuckled and the tension finally drained from him.

For a moment they simply sat there in silence, until Harry asked cautiously: “You’re okay now? That nightmare seemed pretty bad.”  
Draco sighed. “Yes, I’m fine. I guess it was bad. I can’t really remember it. But I’m fine.”  
“Did… did something happen last night? At the party?”

The blond felt a wave of cold wash over him. “No, nothing really.” he lied, even as his mind flashed back to last night. Finnegan claiming it would be boring to wait for Harry’s return and that they should just continue the game. The glint in Corner’s eyes as he’d turned to Draco. “Truth or dare, Malfoy?” he’d asked sweetly and Draco had known that he was in trouble, no matter what he choose.

“Nothing?” Harry prodded.  
“No, nothing. I was getting bored with the game, so I decided to go to bed early.”  
“Okay.”  
“I’m going to take a shower and head down to breakfast.”

He didn’t feel particularly hungry. He never did after a really bad nightmare. But it was better than sitting here and continuing to lie to Harry.

***

During sixth year Draco had gotten quite good at acting like everything was fine, even if it really wasn’t. He was confident that no-one would notice his inner turmoil today either and he was right. He found his usual bunch of first years at the Slytherin table when he came down for breakfast and soon Alice was chattering his ear off, telling him about her upcoming Potions test. Before he really knew it, he’d agreed to help her and Derek to study for the test.

When he left the Slytherin common room a few hours later, after having spent the better part of the morning tutoring not only two, but five hyperactive first years, he actually felt like himself again. It had been fun to spend time with the little ones and he’d only now realized how much he’d actually missed the Slytherin quarters. It also seemed like his house was slowly starting to accept him again.

So he was quite happy with the world, until he rounded a corner and nearly collided with Blaise, who had clearly been waiting for him. For a second they just stared at each other.

“Something I can help you with?” Draco broke the silence.  
“I… I just wanted to know if you’re okay. After yesterday…”  
“I’m fine, Blaise. If that’s all…”

He pushed past the other boy, not wanting to get into an argument. But Blaise caught his arm.  
“Draco, wait!”  
“What? What do you want from me?”  
“I was worried about you. Daphne too.” Blaise claimed.

Draco gave a hollow laugh. “Now you’re worried about me? After completely ignoring me since the start of term?”  
“We’re still friends, are we not?”  
“No, Blaise. We’re not friends. We never really were friends!” the blond spat. “And you know why? Because friends stick up for each other. Friends don’t desert each other to save their reputation!”

The other boy actually stumbled back a step in the face of his wrath.  
“I thought you understood.” he muttered petulantly.  
“Yeah, I thought that, too. Guess we were both wrong.” Draco said bitterly, turning around and continuing down the hallway.

He had only taken a few steps when Blaise called after him: “It’s Potter, isn’t it? He made you believe all that Gryffindor bullshit.”  
“You know nothing about Harry.” Draco said without turning around.

“I know that he’s doing himself a disservice by sticking up for you. People are talking, Draco. And the things they have to say aren’t particularly nice. But then again… Potter’s a bit of a lose canon himself, isn’t he?”  
That last bit got Draco’s attention. He turned and marched back to his house-mate. “Explain!”

“He got into it with his Gryffindor buddies last night. Defending you as usual, even against his friends. Though they weren’t acting all that friendly to begin with. He was pretty pissed. And it looked to me like he had trouble controlling his magic.”

Icy fear gripped Draco. Harry had lost control. Not quite obvious, or people would have been gossiping about it already. But still obvious enough for Blaise to notice. The other Slytherin must have seen something in Draco’s reaction, because suddenly he smirked.

“So it’s true. He’s got a control problem.”  
“Don’t you dare breathe a word about this, Blaise!” Draco hissed. “I know enough of your dirty little secrets to make your life hell!”  
“You’re threatening me.” Blaise said flatly.  
“Damn right, I am. So leave Harry alone.”  
The other Slytherin regarded him curiously. “You’ve changed.”  
“Glad you’ve noticed.” Draco said dryly. “And I mean it. Leave Harry alone, or you won’t like the consequences.”

His warning delivered he turned on his heel and marched off. His good mood had evaporated and his heart sank even further when he entered his room to find Harry waiting for him with a wounded expression.

“You lied to me.” the Gryffindor accused.

Draco pinched the bridge of his nose and slumped onto his bed. Of course Harry followed him, flopping down beside him. At least he’s gotten over his qualms about being in bed with me, the blond thought drily.

“Neville told me what happened last night. What they did.” Harry informed him.

Draco stifled a sigh. He should have known. Especially after Longbottom had followed him to his room, to make sure he was okay and apologize on behalf of the others.

“Why didn’t you tell me? Why did you say nothing had happened?”  
“I didn’t want you to get involved.” He should’ve known that it was no use.  
“That’s stupid. We’re friends. You should have told me.”  
“It really wasn’t that bad.” Draco claimed.  
“Not that bad? You had a horrible nightmare. I couldn’t even get you awake!”

Draco winced and said nothing. Harry was right. It had been bad. Very bad. It had triggered the worst nightmare he’d had in months. Though he doubted that this had been their intention. 

He’d thought choosing truth would be the lesser evil. But when Corner had grinned and asked: “How did it feel to have he-who-shall-not-be-named living in your house? Sharing your meals with him and seeing his face every day?” he’d known that he had been wrong. The Ravenclaw had probably been hoping that he would feel ashamed. Or maybe he’d been hoping Draco would sprout some death eater / pureblood nonsense about having been honoured, so he could say “See, I’ve told you. He’s still a bloody death eater”. He couldn’t have known that his words would trigger a flashback.

“Neville said you went really pale and fled from the room. And they laughed at you!” Harry growled.  
Draco’s bed creaked ominously. The glass on his bedside table splintered. He reached out and grabbed the Gryffindor’s hand.  
“Harry, calm down. Breathe.”  
The younger boy complied and slowly got his feelings back under control.

“That is why I didn’t tell you.” Draco explained. “Because I knew how you’d react.”  
“Sorry.” Harry mumbled softly. He looked so dejected that Draco pulled him into a hug without thought.  
“I just don’t want you to get in trouble because of me.” the blond said.

“I might already be in trouble.” Harry muttered, pulling back slightly. “I had a fight with Seamus and Dean last night and … I … I smashed a bottle. With my powers.” he admitted. “I think the others didn’t notice it was me. But … Zabini might have. He was looking at me funny.”

“I know. He cornered me earlier.”  
“He… How much does he know?” the younger boy asked.  
“He realized that you have some trouble controlling your powers.” the Slytherin admitted. “But don’t worry, he won’t say anything.”  
“You really think he’ll keep that to himself?”  
“Yes, he will. I threatened him. And I have quite some blackmail material. Pansy might have even more. He won’t risk his secrets getting out.”

“You really did that?” Harry asked in disbelief. Draco couldn’t tell if he was angry or not.  
“Yeah.”  
“You threatened your friend to protect me?”  
“Blaise is no friend.” the blond scoffed. “You’re my friend. And I’d do a lot more to protect you.”  
“Thank you.” Harry said sincerely. “And that goes both ways, you know? I’d do anything to protect you.”  
“Yes, I know. No need to go all Hufflepuff on me, Potter.” Draco joked, a little uncomfortable with the way his friend was looking at him.  
Harry just laughed.

Draco hated having to wipe that happy look off his face, but there was something he needed to say.  
“I think we need to work on your control.”  
The smile vanished and Harry looked at him blankly. “My control?”

“Yes. I know you said the diary helps you. That you feel less angry now. You’ve also gotten really good at harnessing so much magic. And that’s great. Really, it is. But when someone pisses you off, you still lose control of your powers way too easily. So I thought … maybe we should try to work on that?”

Harry was quiet for a long moment, but then he nodded. “I guess you’re right. I still can’t control it. But … what did you have in mind? I mean, the breathing exercises the first healer gave me didn’t work. The techniques your mum showed me help a lot better, but I usually don’t even notice that my powers are about to whack out until it’s too late.”

“Well, then I guess the first thing would be to make you more aware of your magic.” Draco mused. “If we can find out more about your outbursts, how and when they happen, then maybe we can find a way for you to stop them before your powers get out of control.”

“Sounds like you’ve given it some thought.” the younger boy noticed.  
“I have.” No use in denying it.  
“Okay. Does that mean you already have a plan?”  
“Sort of? I`ve got some ideas, but I’m not sure if they’ll work. I guess we’ll just have to try. If you’re okay with that.”  
Harry shrugged. “Sure. I want to get this under control. And if you think it’ll help…”  
“I don’t know if it will help.” Draco had admit. “But I think it’s worth a try.”  
“Yes, I guess it is.”

“Okay. When do you want to start?” the Slytherin asked, a little surprised that Harry had agreed so readily. He’d expected more of a fight. But the younger boy actually seemed eager to try.  
“After lunch? No time like the present, right?”  
“Right. After lunch, then. The only question is where we do this. Any ideas?”

Harry thought about it for a moment. “Well…”  
“Yes?” Draco prodded.  
“There’s only one place I can think of. The room of requirement.”

The blond swallowed hard. Of course. It would be the perfect place. The only logical solution. It would provide them exactly what they needed and they wouldn’t have to fear other people seeing something they shouldn’t. But a lot of dark memories were connected to that room. It made him think of fear and fire, death and despair.

“Does it even still exist?” he wondered.  
“McGonagall said the castle has been fully repaired. I think that includes the room of requirement. We’d have to look for ourselves, but… I can understand if you’d rather not.”  
“No, you’re right. It’s the only place suited for this.”

And if it meant helping Harry, he would confront his fears. He’d do pretty much anything for the Gryffindor by now, Draco suspected. Damn, he had it bad.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again thanks for all the lovely comments.   
This chapter contains some meditation, which I know nothing about. I researched a bit on the internet, but I'm not sure if what I wrote is complete crap or not. So I apologize if it doesn't make much sense. There is also some talk about magical theory, or more precisely my idea thereof. Which is probably a load of rubbish. Please bear with me. I did my best.

Harry glanced at Draco out of the corner of his eyes. The Slytherin was trying to appear cool, but Harry knew him well enough by now to notice that he was nervous. And he couldn’t blame him. The thought of returning to the room of requirement, after what had happened there during the last battle, made his own stomach turn with worry. But it was the only place he could think of where they could test his powers without fear of being discovered or destroying something.

Taking a deep breath to steel himself he banned the dark memories from his mind and finally started walking up and down in front of the blank wall. He stopped short when the door appeared, not sure whether he felt relieved or even more anxious.

“Okay, let’s take a look.” he quipped, trying to sound more confident than he felt. Hey, he wasn’t a Gryffindor for nothing. So he grabbed the handle and opened the door, taking a step inside. Immediately he felt relief washing over him. The room looked almost like it had back in fifth year, when they’d used it for Dumbledore’s Army. Only without the books and other trinkets. “Come in. It’s good.”

Draco stepped inside cautiously, looking around. “Oh. It looks quite different.” he commented and Harry could hear the relief in his voice.  
“I guess we can work with that. What do you think?”  
“Yes, it’s perfect. There’s lots of room, no breakable objects… Just what we need.” the blond agreed.

“So… what do I do?” the Gryffindor asked. “You said you’ve got some ideas.”  
“Right. Umm… let’s sit down first.” Draco suggested. “Then we can talk it through, okay?”  
“Okay.” 

The blond sat down cross-legged on the mat that was covering most of the floor and Harry once again envied his effortless grace. He slumped down across from him, trying in vain to imitate his pose, before giving up.

“Okay. From what we’ve seen so far, your outbursts are usually triggered by you getting angry, right?”  
“Right.”  
“And the healer said your magic reacts to your anger and lashes out.”  
“Pretty much, yeah.” Harry agreed.  
“Well, we can’t prevent you getting angry. That’s impossible. So we’ll have to tackle the other part.”  
“My magic.”  
“Your magic reacting.”

Harry thought about that for a moment. It made sense. He had tried to tramp down his anger, but there were just so many people and so many things that pissed him off. And he’d always had a temper. Yeah, preventing him from getting angry was impossible.

“Okay. And how do we do that?” he wanted to know.  
“That’s the part I haven’t completely figured out yet.” Draco admitted.  
“But you’ve got an idea?”  
“A few, actually. If you’re willing to try some out.”  
“Sure. That’s why we’re here.” Harry reminded.

“Alright. I think the best way to start would be making you more aware of your magic.”  
“More aware?”  
“It’s… hard to explain.” Draco said with a sigh. “Remember those Magical Theory lessons we had in first year?”  
“A bit? Not much, to be honest. That stuff was more Hermione’s thing.”  
“Well, what I’m talking about would be considered Advanced Magical Theory.”  
“Okay.”

The blond sighed again, obviously not pleased with Harry’s lack of knowledge. But he seemed willing to explain. “Your magic is a part of you. You use it every day, often without conscious thought. You use it, but you’re not fully aware of it. Very few wizards and witches are.”

“Really?” Harry interrupted.  
“Yes, really. It works, so why think about how it works?”  
“Makes sense.”  
“And since we use wands to channel our magic, we don’t really need to be aware of it. If you want to use wandless magic it’s a different matter.”  
“Why?” the Gryffindor wanted to know.

“Like I said, your wand channels your magic. That’s why Olivander says the wand chooses the wizard. Or why the wand of another person will never work as well for you as your own. Wandless magic is a more .. direct form of magic, if you will. You need to be more aware of your powers. Of the source you want to draw from. Therefore it’s more difficult to use. It takes a lot of practice. Or a lot of power.”

“Okay, I think I get it.” Harry said after a moment. “And my magic whacking out is … wandless magic, right?”

“Exactly.” Draco said, looking happy that he’d made the connection. “You’re very powerful, which is part of the problem. So I think if you were more aware of your magic, you could learn to notice the signs of an outburst and stop it in time.”

“Sounds good. So, how do we do this?”  
“There are different ways. Have you ever tried meditation?” Draco asked.  
“Your mum showed me how to meditate. She said it might help to keep my temper in check.”  
“And how is that working for you?”  
“I didn’t practice all that often.” Harry admitted a little sheepishly.  
“But you know how to meditate?” the blond checked.  
“Yes, I know.”

“Okay, good. Then we’ll try something a lot similar. I’ll show you the technique that worked best for me. It might not work for you, though. If it doesn’t, we’ll just have to try something else, okay?”  
“Yeah, okay.”  
“Good. I want you to get comfortable. Close your eyes and focus on your breathing, like you do when you meditate.”

Harry shifted until he was sitting more comfortably, before closing his eyes and starting to take deep, even breaths, like Narcissa had shown him. The first time he’d tried this, he hadn’t been able to concentrate at all. Stray thoughts kept popping up, distracting him. And he hadn’t really gotten much better after a few tries, which was probably why he hadn’t practised more.

“Just concentrate on your breathing. Inhale… and exhale. Ignore everything else. Empty your mind. Inhale … and exhale.” Draco instructed in a low, soothing voice.

Harry found it surprisingly easy to comply. He listened to the lilting words and allowed himself to relax. To let go. Thoughts scattered away like butterflies. There was nothing but his own breathing and the sound of Draco’s voice.

“Good. Now focus on your body. Feel every part of it. From your toes up your legs … your stomach … your back … chest … your arms down to your fingertips … and up to your head.”

Again Harry complied, focusing his attention on the different parts of his body as Draco listed them. He’d never gotten this far trying on his own, but now he had no trouble at all.

“Very good. Now I want you to focus inward. Feel your heartbeat. Your pulse. The blood running through your veins.”

His heartbeat was strong and steady. So was his pulse. He felt completely calm.

“Now go deeper. Try to feel your magic. It’s in your blood. It flows through your veins. Can you feel it?”

For a long moment there was nothing but his own heartbeat and the sound of his quiet breathing. And then… a prickling sensation, running along his nerve-endings. Harry gasped in surprise. His eyes flew open and his concentration broke.

“Fuck!” he cursed.  
“Hey, you did good. You felt something, right?” Draco checked.  
“Yes, it felt… weird. Sort of … tingly?”  
“That’s good.”  
“I’ll try again.”  
“No. Not right now.” the blond objected.  
“But…”

“No buts. You must be exhausted. We’ve been here for over an hour.”  
“Really?” the Gryffindor asked, a little shocked that so much time had gone by.  
“Yes, really. You did great, Harry. That was amazing for the first try. But it won’t do to push yourself too hard. We can have another go tomorrow, when you’re rested.”

Harry wanted to protest. He wanted to continue. To try again right now. But he knew that Draco was right. He did feel exhausted. “Okay, tomorrow then.” he acquiesced.

“Come on. We should try to get some homework done before dinner.”  
“You just said I’m too exhausted.” Harry protested.  
“Too exhausted to continue this. Not to do your homework.”

The Gryffindor continued to grumble, but he dutifully followed Draco down to their dorm room. And with a little prodding he even managed to get his Transfiguration essay done.

***

“We should go to Hogsmeade tomorrow. Get some Christmas shopping done, before the rush sets in.” Draco mused.  
“That’s a good idea.” Luna agreed. “You can finally buy some ornaments to hang over your beds.”  
“We’ll be sure to get some. Right, Harry?”  
“Yeah, sure.” the Gryffindor agreed.

It was Friday evening and they were on their way back to the castle, after visiting a herd of Thestrals at the edge of the Forbidden Forest. Not exactly Harry’s favourite pastime, but Luna had insisted. And it seemed that neither he nor Draco could really say no to the girl. She was one of the few people whose company he actually enjoyed these days.

“Do you want to come with us, Luna?” he asked.  
“Oh, yes. That would be lovely.” she agreed. “I used to go with Ginny, but I guess she’s going to be busy kissing Justin.”  
“Yeah.” he muttered a little uncomfortably.

Talking about his ex-girlfriend was a bit strange for him. Seeing her with Justin, too. He wasn’t jealous. Not at all. He definitely didn’t want her back. But the fact that she’d gotten over the break-up so quickly still stung a bit.

“You can help us pick out ornaments. You’re the expert on Wrackspurts after all.” Draco chimed in, obviously sensing Harry’s discomfort.

Luna immediately started talking about Wrackspurts and Harry shot his friend a grateful smile.

They parted ways just inside the great hall, Luna choosing to sit at the Ravenclaw table for a change and Draco joining the Slytherin first years. Harry saw Neville sitting with Dean and Seamus, so he headed for his usual seat at the end of the Gryffindor table. He was surprised when someone sat down next to him. And even more surprised when that someone turned out to be Lavender Brown.

“Hi Harry.” she said softly.  
“Hey Lavender.” he replied a little warily. Truth be told, he hadn’t had much dealings with her in the past. Aside from the few weeks she’d spent lip-locked with Ron. And his memories of that time weren’t exactly fond.

“Oh, don’t give me that look.” she grumbled, rolling her eyes.  
“What look?”  
“Like you’re steeling yourself for something terrible. Am I really such bad company?”  
“No. Not at all.” Harry assured.  
“Wow. That sounded almost believable.” Lavender said with a small laugh.  
“Sorry.” God, he was so bad at interacting with girls. Which prompted another thought. Was she here to ask him out?

“Now you’re looking a bit panicked.” she remarked.  
“I…”  
“Oh, relax, will you? I’m not here to hit on you, if that’s what you’re worried about.”

He wasn’t about to admit it, but she must’ve seen him relaxing or something, because she shook her head with a wry smile. At least she obviously found his lack of interest amusing. Still…

“Why are you here?” he couldn’t help but ask.  
“You’re isolating yourself too much.”  
“I’m not...” he started to protest, but she interrupted.

“I get it, you know. I did the same at first. When Parvati didn’t come back this year, I felt so alone. Coming back was hard enough, after… everything. I was still struggling. Back in September I couldn’t look into a mirror without starting to cry.” she confessed.

Harry’s eyes were drawn to her left cheek automatically. There was a line of scars from her ear almost down to her chin. A leftover from Greyback attacking her. And not the only one. She’d gotten off lightly, in comparison to others. She was lucky to still be alive. And yet he could understand her. To some extent.

“And then McGonagall put me in a room with Daphne of all people. The only returning Slytherin girl. I thought the world would end.” she continued with a snort. “But you know what? It didn’t. Once I got my head out of my arse and actually started talking to her, I realized that she’s a wonderful person. I had just never seen it, because I haven’t given her a chance.”

“I don’t know what you want, Lavender. I get along fine with Draco.” Harry reminded.  
“Oh, I know you do.” she answered with a strange smile. “That’s sort of the point.”  
“The point?”  
“Why I’m here. We’ve got more in common than you think. And you’re isolating yourself too much. It’s not healthy. I want to change that.”  
“You want to…”

“Spend time with you. Occasionally. Don’t worry, just as friends. I have zero interest in you.” she assured.  
“Way to crush my ego.”  
Lavender grinned. “You don’t need me to stroke your ego. That’s what your fans are for.”  
Harry couldn’t help but laugh. That sentence could have come from Draco.

“I know you don’t have a very high opinion of me. After that whole fiasco with Ron in sixth year…” she continued. “I can’t really blame you. Looking back I’m pretty embarrassed myself. But I can assure you that I’ve grown up since then. And it won’t hurt you to spend time with someone besides Draco every once in a while.”

Harry refrained from pointing out that he also spent time with Luna or Neville. It was a surprise, coming from Lavender, but maybe she was right about him isolating himself. Hagrid had said something similar the last time he’d visited him. Even Luna complained that he needed to get out more.

“Okay. So what exactly do we have in common? Besides Slytherin roommates.” he wanted to know.  
“Cool scars?”

For a moment he could only gape at her.  
“Yes, I can joke about it now.” Lavender said and there was no mistaking the pride in her tone. “The scars are part of me. Part of my history. I’ve accepted them. Daphne helped a lot with that.”

Seeing his scowl at the mention of Greengrass, she added: “She’s sorry, you know? For abandoning Draco like that. They were never really close, mind you. Kind of like you and me. But she still feels bad about it. She failed him and she knows it. It’s just… She just did what her parents told her to do. It’s a bad habit she’s trying to break. And… oh, don’t scoff. You grew up with Muggles. You don’t know what it’s like in the old pureblood families. There’s a lot of tradition and .. high expectations. It’s not easy to just dismiss what you’ve been taught all your life. Ask Draco if you don’t believe me.”

As far as Harry was concerned that was no excuse. But he didn’t want to start a discussion with Lavender. And he wasn’t really all that angry at Daphne Greengrass. Like Lavender had said, she and Draco had never been close. Zabini was a different matter. He claimed to be Draco’s friend.

“So, cool scars and Slytherin roommates. Anything else?” he tried to steer the conversation back to a lighter topic.  
“Hmm.. let’s see… We both dated a Weasley.”  
Harry grimaced. “True.” But he so didn’t want to go there. “And we’re both Gryffindors. Obviously.”  
“See, we’ve got so much in common.” she said with a grin.  
“Yeah, tons.” he said sarcastically, prompting another laugh.  
“There are many more similarities, but we can talk about those another time. Right now I need to get going. But it was fun talking to you, Harry. See you around.”

Lavender got up and headed for the doors, where he could see Daphne Greengrass waiting for her. Harry stared after her for a moment, before focusing on his food again. But he didn’t miss the curious glances some people were giving him. Did they think he was dating Lavender now? Merlin, he hoped not. He knew how quickly rumours spread.

His appetite suddenly gone he got up and left the great hall, nearly bowling over Draco and three Slytherin first years on his way out.

“Hey, easy there.” the blond commented, looking at him worriedly.  
“Sorry.” Harry mumbled.  
“Are you okay? Did Brown bother you? I saw you talking.”  
“No, she… she didn’t bother me.”  
“Okay. And what’s got you so agitated then?” Draco wanted to know.

Harry shrugged. “It’s stupid, but… people were staring. They probably think I’m dating her or something.”  
“I don’t think that’s why they were staring.” the Slytherin claimed.  
“Don’t give me that hero worship crap. I thought people had finally gotten over it.”  
“Some never will, but I don’t think it’s that either.”

“They were surprised that someone dared to approach you, I think.” the little blond girl to Draco’s right chimed in.  
“And that you didn’t bite her head off.” the boy next to her added.  
Harry looked at them in surprise. The boy cringed, but the girl met his stare defiantly.

“They’re right, you know? You always sit in your lonely corner of the Gryffindor table, scowling darkly at anyone who dares to look at you. It takes guts to approach you.”

Was he really that bad? Yes, people grated on his nerves. Especially his adoring fans, as Draco liked to call them. And okay, maybe he had scowled at some girls every once in a while, when they wouldn’t stop bothering him. But surely he didn’t look that unapproachable.

“My friend Lucy, who’s a Gryffindor, said the prefects told them not to bother you. That you want to be left alone and you’d only get angry.” the girl let him know.

“Oh. I .. I didn’t know that.” Prefects? Ginny was a prefect. Had she told the other Gryffindors to stay away from him? And if so, why had she done that? Because she’d witnessed his outburst and was afraid it would happen again? Was she trying to protect him? Protect others? Or did she do it to spite him? Harry had no idea what to think.

“Well, I… okay I get angry when people ask me for autographs and stuff. But I don’t mind people talking to me.” he clarified.  
“It’s okay, you know. Gryffindors are very annoying.” the boy said earnestly.  
“Oh shut up, Derek. No-one cares about your opinion!” the girl snapped at him.  
“That’s not true! Draco cares. Don’t you, Draco?” Derek asked, giving the blond puppy dog eyes.  
“Of course I care.”

The girl huffed and stomped off. Derek glanced at Draco for a second, before following her. The remaining first year, a tiny girl with dark braids rolled her eyes and muttered something, before running after her friends.

“Don’t mind Derek and Alice. They’re always fighting.” Draco told Harry.  
“They remind me of Ron and Hermione.”  
“I guess in a few years they’re either going to date or kill each other.”  
“Could’ve gone both ways with Ron and Hermione, too.” the Gryffindor quipped. And he wasn’t sure if he was joking or not.

“So, what did Brown want?” Draco asked while they made their way back to their room.  
“She thinks I’m isolating myself. Said I need to spend time with other people than you.” Harry let him know.  
“She’s not wrong.”  
“Like you’re one to talk.”  
“Hey, I spend time with Luna and some of the Slytherin first years. And the list of people who actually want to spend time with me isn’t all that long.”

“People only want to spend time with me because I’m the great Harry Potter.” Harry groused, flopping down on his bed.  
“Not all people.”  
He looked up at the blond. “Do you think I’m isolating myself?”  
Draco sat down next to him. “A little, maybe. I guess we both are. For different reasons.”  
“People piss me off. And we know what happens when I get angry.”

There had been no new outbursts since that dreadful party two weeks ago, but Harry knew that it wasn’t because he was getting better at controlling them. They had continued their lessons in the room of requirement and he was making progress, but it was slow going. Too slow for his liking. He was starting to get a feel for his magic, yes. Even without the deep meditation and Draco guiding him through the steps. But it would still take more time until he’d be able to recognize the signs of a magical outburst early enough to stop it.

“And a lot of people still look at me and only see the dark mark on my arm.” Draco’s voice shook him from his musings.  
“People really need to learn to move on.” Harry grumbled.  
“Some people have.”  
“Not enough. And until they do, I have no problem with isolation.”  
The blond chuckled. “Neither do I. But if you want to spend time with Brown…”

The Gryffindor shrugged. “I don’t know. Talking to her today wasn’t as bad as expected. We never talked much in the past. Only a little during DA-meetings and when she was dating Ron. Back then I thought she was bloody annoying. But she can actually be funny. And she made it very clear that she’s not interested in dating me, which is a relief.”

“Well, then I guess we can add another person to your friends-list. How many does that make it now? Four?” Draco quipped, laughing when Harry gaped at him.

“Oh shut up, you!” the Gryffindor grumbled, grabbing his pillow and whacking the blond over the head with it. Which only made Draco laugh harder. And Harry couldn’t help but join in. So maybe he didn’t have as many friends as he used to in his earlier years at Hogwarts. At least he could always rely on those he had.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have no idea where Lavender came from. Honestly. The idea of her befriending Harry (along with another idea - you'll see in the next chapter) just popped into my head and I sort of liked it.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone. This is the last chapter for this year. Time flies, huh? Crazy. I never thought this story would get that long...  
Hope you all had a nice Christmas. And I wish you all the best for 2020.

“It’s going to snow.” Luna announced randomly when Draco and Harry met up with her in the entrance hall on Saturday.  
“Probably.” Draco agreed.  
“It’s almost December. No surprise there.” Harry added.

They joined the queue of students heading down to the village. Since it was a regular Hogsmeade weekend there were quite a lot of people, though Draco suspected that the dark clouds obscuring the sky prevented at least some of the older years from going. The walk was pleasant enough, despite the chilly wind and seemed shorter than he remembered.

“Where to first?” the Slytherin asked once they had reached the small village.  
“I don’t know. Luna? Do you need anything specific?”  
“Oh, no. I’ve already got all my Christmas presents.” she let them know. “I just thought it would be nice to come with you, now that you’ve stopped hiding.”

“Okay. How about Tomes and Scrolls?” Draco suggested, ignoring her last comment. “I thought I could get some books with baking recipes for mother.”  
“Good idea. Maybe I’ll find a gift for Hermione.” Harry agreed readily.

They browsed through the bookshop and Draco ended up buying three books for his mother. Harry found a huge tome about the historical background of the most famous witches of the last three hundred years, which he claimed Granger was going to love.

Their next stop was Spintwitches Sporting Needs, where they looked at various Quidditch supplies, until Luna got bored. Harry finally bought the newest Chudley Cannons fan shirt for Weasley. The blond shuddered at the garish colour, but wisely kept his mouth shut.

Some of the old stores had never opened again after the war, but others had quickly taken their place. One of the new shops was the Glinting Goods, a jewellery store where Draco found a beautiful necklace for Pansy and a brooch for Andromeda. Right next door was Gladrags Wizardwear. The blond helped Harry pick out silk scarfs for his mother and Andromeda and they both ended up buying a whole bunch of colourful socks for little Teddy.

When they emerged from the shop he caught Harry looking at the Three Broomsticks wistfully. Facing Madame Rosmerta was pretty much the last thing he wanted to do right now. It had been a nice day so far and he’d rather keep it that way. But he knew that he couldn’t postpone this confrontation forever. 

So he swallowed his nervousness and suggested: “Why don’t we get a Butterbeer? I think I could use a break.”  
“Are you sure?” Harry checked. “We don’t have to.”  
“I have to face my demons sooner or later.” the Slytherin stated. He jumped a little when Luna grabbed his hand.  
“Madame Rosmerta isn’t mad at you.” she claimed.  
“She’s not? But she has every right. I…”  
“You did what you had to do.” Harry interrupted.  
“He’s right. Come on, I’d quite like a butterbeer.” Luna said, grabbing Harry’s hand with her free one and dragging both boys to the Three Broomsticks.

The pub was crowded and noisy as always, but the Ravenclaw somehow managed to secure them a little table in a quiet corner. Draco ended up sitting between her and Harry. He didn’t know whether they had staged it like that so he would feel safer or so he couldn’t flee. Though, knowing those two it was probably the former.

He tensed when the curvy barmaid stopped in front of their table, giving him a critical once over. “Don’t worry, lad. I’m not out for revenge. It wouldn’t do to poison a paying customer.” she said. He couldn’t tell if she was joking or not. “I’m not saying I’m fine with what you did to me, but it was a war. Worse things happened. And as far as I’m concerned, your money is as good as anyone’s.”

Draco hardly dared to believe his ears.  
“See, I told you she’s not mad at you.” Luna reminded.

He met Madame Rosmerta’s stare hesitantly. “For what it’s worth, I’m very sorry for what I did to you. And if there is anything I can do to make it up to you…”  
“Apology accepted. And I wouldn’t say no to a hefty tip.” she said with a wink.  
“Of course.” 

He was able to relax a little after that. True to her word the barmaid didn’t treat him any different than the other customers. She didn’t even glare at him when she served their butterbeers and cauldron cakes. Most of the other patrons were Hogwarts students, so he didn’t worry too much about getting hexed. And if push came to shove he still had Harry at his side, who would be quick to jump to his defence.

They nursed their drinks and enjoyed the warmth of the pub, which felt heavenly after the harsh wind outside. Luna regaled them with stories of the creatures she was going to look for during Christmas holidays. Her father had planned an expedition through Portugal and Spain this year and she was very excited.

Draco insisted on paying for all of them and true to his word gave a very large tip. He felt a lot better when they stepped outside again, where it had indeed began snowing now. After a quick trip to Honeydukes, Luna led them to the Treasure Trove, another new shop. The owner was a stout little witch in a garish pink and purple dress, which clashed horribly with her orange hat.

While Luna had a nice chat with the witch, Harry and Draco looked around the shop. The Slytherin wasn’t the least bit surprised that Luna felt at home here. The walls were painted in different, bright colours and lined with shelves filled with anything from magical artefacts to Muggle trinkets. It was a bit overwhelming. In a corner they found a flowery headdress along with matching earrings and both agreed immediately that it would be the perfect gift for their Ravenclaw friend. So Draco distracted Luna, while Harry purchased the jewellery. Afterwards they asked her to pick some Christmas ornaments to hang over both their beds.

It was already late when they finally made their way back to Hogwarts, laden with packages and in high spirits, despite the cold wind and now steadily falling snow. Luna followed them back to their room to instruct them on how to place the Christmas ornaments to prevent Wrackspurts from pestering them. Just as she was leaving, Longbottom showed up, admiring their work with a grin.

“They’re supposed to prevent Wrackspurts.” Harry explained.

“Oh, I know. Terry has a bunch of Christmas ornaments over his bed, too. And my sock drawer is covered in something Muggles call post-it notes. Luna believes that a higgyclump is stealing my socks and this would stop him. When I found out that it was actually Terry’s cat who stole my socks I just didn’t have the heart to tell her.” the other Gryffindor let them know.

Draco was glad to hear that they obviously weren’t the only ones who couldn’t deny Luna anything.  
“What brings you here?” he asked pleasantly. Longbottom was one of the few other eighth years he actually found tolerable.

“I have a message for Harry.” the other boy explained, before turning to address his fellow Gryffindor. “Hagrid wants you to come down to his hut after dinner. Says he’s got something to show you.”

“Did he say what?” Harry asked warily.  
“No, he said it’s a surprise.” There was sympathy in Longbottom’s tone, but also amusement. Draco wondered if he was the only one thinking of the Blast Ended Skrewts from their Care of Magical Creatures class in fourth year.

Harry and Draco put their purchases away, before freshening up and following Longbottom to the great hall for dinner. The Slytherin was pleased to see Longbottom sitting down with Harry, both of them in deep discussion. While a part of him – the selfish, spoiled part – wanted to keep the Gryffindor all to himself, the more rational part knew that Harry needed to spend time with other people as well. They couldn’t only rely on each other. It just wasn’t healthy.

He was soon surrounded by the usual gaggle of first years. Aside from Alice and Derek, who had taken an instant liking to him, there were also Ivy, Mathilda and Kilian. The rest of the little ones were friendly, but didn’t actively seek him out, which was just fine. He had his hands full with those five.

They listened attentively while he told them about his trip to Hogsmeade and kept bombarding him with questions about all the shops. Was it true that Zonko’s hadn’t reopened? And what about Honeydukes? Did they really have the best chocolate? Was there really a post office in Hogsmeade with all kinds of different owls?

Dinner went by in a blur and soon Draco was sending the little ones off to bed, while he went back to his room. He caught a glimpse of Harry leaving the great hall, looking like he was about to face off against a dragon. The scenario wasn’t at all impossible, knowing Hagrid. The half-giant had been suspiciously absent from the staff table, which didn’t bode well. But Harry could actually hold his own even against a dragon, so the Slytherin wasn’t overly worried.

The eighth year common room was pretty deserted, but Draco had no intention of lingering. He didn’t want another run-in with Blaise, who hadn’t approached him since the day after the party, but kept giving him calculating looks. He had just reached the entrance to the boy’s dorms when a soft hand on his arm stopped him.

“Can we talk?” Daphne asked hesitantly.

Draco’s first urge was to dismiss her and stalk off to his room. Show her how it felt when ones housemates turned their back on you. But the strange look in her blue eyes stopped him. So instead of running away, he crossed his arms over his chest and gave her a cold stare.

“Sure.”  
“Could we go to your room?”  
Draco arched an eyebrow. “Aren’t you afraid someone might see you following me to my quarters? They might draw the wrong conclusions.”  
“Let them.” she said dismissively.  
“Alright. Come along.”

Daphne looked at the Christmas ornaments above his bed and her lips twitched.  
“I see Luna has gotten to you as well.” she remarked.  
“Don’t tell me you’ve got ornaments above your bed, too.”  
She shook her head. “A string of butterbeer corks. To ease my dreams and keep the Nargles away. Strangely enough it actually seems to help with the dreams.”

She glanced at his bed again, before taking a seat in the chair at his desk. Draco grabbed Harry’s chair and pulled it over so he was facing her.

“I’m sorry.” It was said so quietly that he had trouble hearing her.  
“For…” he prompted.

“For a lot of things.” Daphne said. She finally looked at him, her voice getting stronger. “For not sticking up for you at the beginning of term. For abandoning you. For listening to my parents and following their orders, like a good little pureblood princess!”

Draco was taken aback at the bitterness in her voice. He’d never paid all that much attention to her, but from what he knew Daphne had always been proud of her heritage. Just like him. Up until the moment that heritage had forced him into the service of a madman.

“So your parents told you to stay away from me.” he guessed.  
“They did. They said being seen with you would ruin my good reputation.”  
“Well, they weren’t exactly wrong, I guess.”  
“Maybe. But that’s beside the point.” she said with a huff.  
“And the point is…”

“The point is that it’s stereotypical Slytherin behaviour. Being seen with you is bad for my reputation, so I stay away. I’m not supposed to care if you have a hard time. I have to do what’s good for me, no matter the consequences. That’s what they all think of us Slytherins, isn’t it? That we do things only if there’s profit for us. That we betray each other if there’s something to gain. And we prove them right! Only three of us returned this year, Draco. Wouldn’t it have been better to stick together? The other houses did that. Why can’t we?”

“Because we’ve been taught otherwise. And it’s hard to overcome old habits.” Draco said softly. “When I saw you on the Hogwarts Express and Blaise shut me out of your compartment, I understood his reasoning. I wasn’t even angry. It took some time and a new perspective for me to realize that friends shouldn’t do that. They shouldn’t be so selfish.”

“Yes, we were selfish. And I’m really sorry.”  
“It’s okay. I don’t even blame you. We were never all that close.”  
“I still feel bad about it. And I’m trying to overcome all this … this nonsense I’ve been taught.” she stated.  
“Oh. How is that going for you?”  
She shrugged. “I’m working on it. But it’s hard, you know?”

“I know what you mean. Of course we believe what we’ve been taught all our lives. Usually you don’t question your parents. You look up to them. Unless something happens that makes you question them. And then it still takes time to realize that maybe what you’ve been taught was wrong.”

“What made you question your parents?” she wanted to know.  
“The crazy, noseless freak living in our house.” Draco deadpanned.

Daphne actually giggled. “It’s good that you can joke about it.” she praised. “If you can joke about the bad things that happened to you, then you’re on your way to overcome them.”

“Who told you those wise words?”

“Lavender. It’s what the mind healer told her. About her scars. She didn’t believe him at first. But I think now she does. She’s so much stronger now. She doesn’t let the stares get to her any longer. I think she even believes me when I tell her she’s beautiful.”

Draco could hear the pride in those words and it surprised him. He’d never heard Daphne gushing like this. About anyone. The thought must’ve shown on his face, because she blushed, but met his eyes defiantly.

“What? You’re not the only snake who’s in love with a Gryffindor.”  
Her words hit him like a ton of bricks. She knew? But how could she know?  
“I … I have no idea what…” he stuttered, trying to deny it.  
“Oh come on. You and Harry? You’re so obvious.”  
“But I’m not… we’re not… “  
“Don’t even try to deny it. Like I said, it’s obvious. And I don’t mind. You’re a cute couple.”  
“But we are no couple!” he hissed.  
“You really expect me to believe that? With the way you look at him?”

Draco felt his face getting hot. Merlin’s balls, was he really that obvious? Had anyone else noticed? What had happened to his cool mask?

“Oh. You’re really … not together?” Daphne asked.  
“No, we’re not.”  
“But… you’re in love with him. Right?”

Draco didn’t answer. Couldn’t answer. There was no use denying it, but he still felt unable to confirm it. He’d thought he’d done a good job of hiding his feelings. But it seemed that Daphne had seen right through him.

“How did you even know that I’m …?” He couldn’t quite bring himself to finish the question either.  
“Gay? It was always pretty obvious. I think we all knew.” she claimed.  
“What do you mean, you all knew?”

“Us girls, of course. Probably most of the boys in Slytherin, too. I don’t know. It was like an open secret. No one felt the need to say anything, because… well, I guess we didn’t really care. And Pansy made it pretty clear that she wouldn’t tolerate anyone giving you grief about liking boys.”

Great. So pretty much anyone in his house had known that he was bent. And Pansy had scared them all into keeping their mouths shut. That definitely sounded like his best friend and he felt a wave of gratitude towards her. Wizarding society didn’t really mind same-sex relationships. Even purebloods believed in the age-old practice of turning a blind eye. But it was a different matter if you were the only heir of an old pureblood family. And quite another matter for a female member of the sacred 28.

“So… you and Brown?”

Daphne shrugged. “It just happened. I always felt more drawn to girls than boys, but before the war I would have never really considered it. I know that my parents are planning to marry me off to some French pureblood twice my age. And I think I would have gone through with it. But then… the war happened and I … I was afraid I might die. And I swore to myself that if I survived and if the dark lord was defeated, I wouldn’t agree to that marriage.”

“What did your parents say?” Draco wanted to know.  
“I haven’t told them yet.” she admitted.  
“You’re afraid of their reaction.”  
“Of course I am. They’ll be furious.”  
“And Brown’s parents? Do they know?”

“Not about us. We both agreed that it was too soon to tell them. And Lavender isn’t… she likes girls and boys.” Daphne explained. “But they know that and they’re okay with it. She has an older brother to keep the line going and they were always a lot less strict. Plus they’re happy she even survived Greyback’s attack. I think they’d forgive her a lot of things.”

“I can imagine.”  
“And you and Harry?” she asked.  
“I told you – there is no me and Harry.” Draco grumbled.  
“I still find that hard to believe. He seems so smitten with you. And he’s always defending you…”  
“We’re friends. Harry is straight.”  
“Lavender claims no-one is completely straight.” she let him know.

Draco didn’t bother to dignify that with an answer. What a ridiculous theory.

“Maybe he just hasn’t realized it yet.” Daphne mused. “Lavender also said he’s pretty dense when it concerns relationships. He and Ron always needed Hermione Granger to help them analyse their feelings. Yes, that must be it. He just doesn’t know that he’s in love with you.”

“That’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve heard from you today. Including your girlfriend’s theory about everyone being secretly bisexual.” Draco groused.

“Not completely straight. I never said everyone’s bisexual.” she corrected. “And I’m sure that I’m right about Harry. He quite obviously adores you. But without his friend Granger to help him he doesn’t realize it. I think you should give him a bit more time. Maybe wait until Christmas break is over. If he hasn’t started snogging you by then, you need to start courting him more openly. Not everyone understands subtlety, you know.”

“I’m not going to court Harry!” he protested.  
But Daphne ignored him. “Don’t worry, Draco. I’ll help you.” she promised, patting his hand.  
“Aren’t you listening? I don’t want your help. Merlin’s beard, you’re worse than Pansy!”  
“Oh, yes. I’m sure Pansy has some lovely ideas. She was always reading those novels… You should ask her.”

Draco knew exactly which novels she meant. They usually ended with two wizards declaring their undying love for each other and then proceeding to have hot steamy sex. He might have borrowed one or two of them for exactly that reason.

“You know what? I’ll do that. I’ll ask Pansy for help and we’ll come up with a plan.” he said, hoping to end this awkward conversation.  
“Wonderful. And if you need any more help, you’ll come to me.”  
“Sure I will.”

His plan seemed to work, because Daphne got to her feet and declared she needed to get going now, because Lavender was waiting. He breathed a sigh of relief.  
“It was nice talking to you, Draco. I know we’ve never really been friends, but I was hoping to change that.”

She sounded sincere and he had to admit that he missed having a female friend he could talk to. Luna was great, but so different from Pansy. Daphne was a lot more like her. As long as she didn’t start meddling too much he wouldn’t mind spending more time with her.  
“I’d like that.” he said honestly.

Daphne smiled and bent down to kiss his cheek. When she straightened up again, Draco saw Harry standing in the doorway, staring at them. The Gryffindor looked pale. Draco hadn’t even heard him come in.

“Bye Draco.” Daphne chirped, brushing past Harry.  
The Slytherin ignored her, too focused on his roommate.  
“Are you okay? Did Hagrid show you something horrible?” he asked worriedly.  
“Huh?”  
“You’re looking a bit pale, Harry. Did he get another dragon or something?”

The Gryffindor shook his head and smiled, but it looked forced. “No, not a dragon.” he assured, taking a seat in the chair Daphne had vacated. “He got an Occami for his next Care of Magical Creatures class. I’m not sure if that’s any better, though. Do you think I should tell McGonagall?”

“Hmm.. might be a good idea. I doubt he asked for her permission.” Draco mused.  
“Yeah, I thought so, too. But I don’t want to get him in trouble.”  
“It’s his own fault.”  
“I know, but still… He doesn’t mean anything by it. He just doesn’t think.”  
“Obviously. But you’re okay? It didn’t bite you or anything?” the blond checked.

“Nono, I’m fine.” Harry assured. “Just a bit tired, I guess.” His gaze darted around the room, before settling on Draco again. He still looked a bit shaken. “So… what did she want?” he asked, jerking his head at the door.

“Daphne? Pretty much the same thing Brown wanted when she talked to you, I guess. She said she’s hoping we’d become friends.”  
“Oh. Okay. Did she tell you that she has zero interest in dating you, too? That’s what Lavender said to me.” Harry let him know.

Draco thought back to his talk with the blonde girl. “Yeah, pretty much.” he muttered with a wry smile.


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy New Year everyone. And I'm starting it with a longer chapter. At first I wanted to split it in two, but I didn't know where to make the cut, so I'm posting it as one now. This story is turning out a lot longer than I ever thought it would. But now I finally got to write the scene that's been on my mind since starting it.

Time seemed to accelerate as Christmas drew nearer. The grounds were covered in a thick blanket of snow, which prevented most outdoor activities. The load of homework increased and some teachers tried to cram as many exams as possible into the last weeks of the year, which meant even more studying.

Daphne stayed true to her word and spent more time with Draco, while her girlfriend pestered Harry. A few times they even convinced the boys to join them for a study session in the library or the common room, which was actually not so bad. Both girls were focused on the course work and didn’t gossip too much. There was also almost no giggling.

Draco was surprised that Harry remained oblivious to the true nature of the girl’s relationship. They didn’t go to any great length to hide it and even he had heard the rumours that were starting to spread about those two by now. Maybe the Gryffindor really was a bit dense when it concerned relationships. The blond tried not to let that little revelation get his hopes up and vowed to put the talk with Daphne out of his mind.

Of course Hagrid got in trouble for the Occami even without Harry ratting him out. The creature escaped from its cage and took up residence in the headmistress’ office. To say McGonagall wasn’t pleased would be an understatement. Draco doubted that the half-giant had learned his lesson, though. According to Harry he’d started talking about procuring an Erumpent next.

In between studying and other things Harry and Draco continued their lessons in the room of requirement. The Gryffindor’s awareness of his powers had grown considerably, though it still wasn’t going fast enough for his liking. They ran a test, using a particularly nasty article in the Daily Prophet to make his temper flare and he was very disappointed when he didn't notice his magic surging in time to stop the outburst. But he did manage to bring his magic back under control without Draco’s help, so the blond still counted it as a win.

About a week before the end of term Draco received a rather frantic letter from his aunt. She told him that she’d invited Harry to stay with them over Christmas break – as he already knew. But she had only now realized that they didn’t have a spare room for him to sleep in. Her daughter’s old room had been turned into a nursery for Teddy and the two guest bedrooms were occupied by Draco and his mother.

Andromeda apologised profusely and asked if he would be kind enough to share his room with Harry. They could put a camp bed in, which would undoubtedly make things a bit cramped, but was still the best possible option. She didn’t want the poor boy to sleep on the couch or, even worse, spend Christmas all alone in that dreadful old house he’d inherited from his godfather.

Draco wrote back immediately, assuring her that he didn’t mind sharing his room with Harry, since he was used to it by now. And he meant it. Even if it would have been nice to have a room to himself again. He couldn’t escape thoughts of Harry anyway. So it wouldn’t make much of a difference.

Of course Harry felt guilty when he found out. He even offered to sleep on the couch or change his plans and spend the break at the Weasleys, but the blond would hear none of it. He pointed out that he was used to sharing his living space with the Gryffindor and he didn’t plan on spending much time in his bedroom anyway.

That little problem taken care of, the last week flew by and before they really knew it they were packing their things and boarding the Hogwarts Express. For Draco it was a very different experience than the ride to school in September. This time Daphne and Lavender had saved them seats. Luna and Longbottom, who insisted that Draco should get over himself and just call him Neville, joined them as well.

They spent the ride back to London discussing their respective plans for Christmas and New Year’s Eve, speculating about the coursework for the rest of the semester and fretting about their upcoming NEWTs. Somehow Draco also found himself agreeing to a Hogsmeade trip with the whole group.

It was early evening when they arrived in London. After receiving parting hugs from the girls, Harry and Draco grabbed their luggage and apparated to Andromeda’s house. There they were greeted with yet more hugs and sent upstairs to pack away their luggage and freshen up before dinner.

Andromeda had already placed the promised camp bed in Draco’s room. It wasn’t as cramped as he’d thought it would be. In fact, his room appeared bigger than he remembered it. The blond suspected that his mother had added some extension charms to make it more comfortable for them.

Over dinner the two women discussed their plans for the holidays and asked about school. Narcissa told her son about her latest baking accomplishments, while Andromeda regaled Harry with tales of little Teddy. The boy had grown a lot in the few months since his last visit. It was a nice, quiet evening and they fell into bed stuffed full with delicious food and tons of cookies.

***

Draco rang the doorbell, shifting impatiently while he waited. He jumped a little when a house elf opened the door, beaming up at him.  
“Master Draco!”  
The blond smiled down at the tiny creature. “Hello Pebbles. I’m here to see Pansy.”  
“Oh, yes. She is waiting in the sitting room. Come. Pebbles will show you, Master Draco.”

He had visited the Parkinson’s often enough that he found his way around the house without a guide, but the elf looked so delighted that he simply agreed and followed her. Pebbles had always liked him for some reason.

A voice squealing his name was all the warning he got before Pansy practically flew at him, throwing her arms around his neck. Draco laughed and hugged her back just as enthusiastically.  
“Morgana’s tits, I missed you!” she yelled.  
“I missed you too, Pans.”

They hugged for a moment longer, before separating with matching grins on their faces.  
“This calls for hot chocolate and cake.” Pansy announced.  
“Pebbles will fetch some for you, young Miss.” the house elf piped up, disapparating with a crack.

Pansy grabbed Draco’s hand and pulled him down onto the small couch, so they were sitting side by side.  
“You look great.” he complimented. “I like your hair.”  
She pulled at one of the shoulder-length strands. “I think I might let it grow a little longer.”  
“You should. Long hair suits you.”

“Alright, enough about my hair. You look good as well. Though that’s all I’m going to say about it, you vain creature.” she joked.  
Draco chuckled. “Fine with me. There are more important things we could talk about.”

Pebbles’ return interrupted them for a moment. The house elf placed a huge tray on the little table, before disapparating again. There were steaming mugs of hot chocolate and at least a dozen slices of different cakes.

“So, let’s talk about important things.” Pansy prompted.  
“How is France?” Draco asked.

“It’s amazing! The castle is really beautiful. More so than Hogwarts. And my roommates are great. Laureline knows so much about fashion. We can chat endlessly. And Manon is the best source for gossip. The teachers are okay as well. I really like Madame Deveraux, my head of house. She’s pretty cool. My scores in Transfiguration have improved so much. You wouldn’t believe it. And I’m so glad I’ve decided to try for a NEWT in Potions. Our teacher is totally hot! He’s only about thirty or something, with dark-blond hair and incredibly blue eyes.”

She kept gushing for a while and Draco was content to listen. He was still sad that she hadn’t come back to Hogwarts, but for her it had obviously been the right choice. And Pansy’s happiness was the most important thing.  
“I’m really glad you like it so much.” he said when she finally paused to take a sip of her chocolate.

“I do like it. I mean, of course it was hard at first. All those new people and the new school… But the girls were really welcoming. And the best thing is that no-one really knows much about the war. No-one was giving me dark looks because of my family’s allegiance or what I did. I could start over and just be myself. No pressure, no expectations.”

“Sounds great.”  
“I’m so sorry that they made you return to Hogwarts. You would’ve loved Beauxbatons.”  
“That’s okay. Of course I miss you, but I’m happy at Hogwarts.” Draco assured.  
“Oh yes, I’ve heard.” she said with a sly grin. It was a look he knew all too well.  
“Okay, spit it out. I can see you’re just dying to say something.”

“Alright. Tell me about Potter.” she ordered, half-turning so she was facing him.  
“What have you heard?”  
“Loads. I do keep up with the news here, you know? And of course Daphne owls me regularly.”  
Draco rolled his eyes. “Of course she does. Wait… did you have something to do with her wanting to be friends with me all of a sudden?”  
“No. Okay, maybe a little. I just told her to stop being a bitch.” Pansy said with a shrug. He should have known.

“So you and Potter…” she prodded again. “You mentioned him in some of your letters, but you never gave me any details.”  
“We’re friends now. Weird, huh? I can’t really believe it myself sometimes.”  
“And how did that happen?”  
“Well, we met at my aunt’s and …”

He hesitated, wondering how much he should tell her. Pansy was his best friend. They never had any secrets. And he didn’t want to start now. But it wasn’t exactly his secret to tell…

“What I’m going to tell you now has to stay a secret. You can’t tell anyone. I mean it, Pans. You have to swear.”  
“Hey, I never betrayed you. I kept all your secrets.” she reminded, sounding a little hurt.  
“I know. But it’s not my secret. And I have to be sure.”  
“Alright, I swear I won’t tell anyone. Or do you need me to make an unbreakable vow?”  
“Sorry. You know I didn’t mean it like that. But I just have to make sure no-one finds out.”  
“Finds out what?” she wanted to know.

“The first time I saw Harry after my trial was at Andromeda’s house. He was having a panic attack and his magic … got out of control. It was … sort of pulsing around him in great dark waves.”  
“Holy shit! He’s that powerful?” Pansy breathed.  
“He is. Have you heard those rumours about his connection to the dark lord?”  
“Of course I have.”  
“They’re mostly true.”  
“There really was a connection there?”

Draco nodded. “Yes, there was. And that connection sort of dampened Harry’s powers. So when the dark lord died, he finally got access to his full magical strength. But the thing is, he’s got trouble controlling it. His powers react to his mood. Which means that they tend to get out of control when he gets angry.”

“Merlin’s saggy balls!”  
“Now do you understand why I had to make sure you’ll keep it secret? If the Prophet catches wind of it…”  
“They’d proclaim him a nutcase. Again.” Pansy finished his sentence.  
“Yeah.”

“Okay. So he had a panic attack and was about to destroy the house…” she prompted.  
“Pretty much, yes. So I went over and grabbed his shoulders and…”  
“Whoa, wait a moment. You approached him? Are you nuts?”  
“You weren’t there, Pans. He looked so scared and helpless. I just had to do something.” Draco defended himself.  
She heaved a sigh. “Of course. You stopped thinking. Like you always do where he’s concerned.”  
“Maybe.”  
“So you approached him, uncaring of the danger. And then?”

“I helped him. I guided him through the breathing exercises mother taught me when I started having panic attacks. And it worked. He slowly calmed down. Andromeda made him some tea and we … we talked. He told me about his problems with his powers and that he didn’t want to see a mind healer, so the Prophet wouldn’t catch wind of it. I suggested that he should talk to mother and he agreed.”

“He just told you that he can’t control his powers? Just like that?” Pansy asked sceptically.  
“I know it’s strange. That he trusted me with this, considering our past. But … it’s like something happened in that moment, when I helped him. Something changed between us.”

“You probably lost what’s left of your mind.” she suggested helpfully.  
“Funny.” he replied drily. “So that’s how it started. We agreed to leave the past behind us and start over.”

“Okay. Wow. And when exactly did Potter fall in love with you?”  
“What? He’s not in love with me.”  
“Daphne thinks he is. She told me that he looked like he wanted to murder her when he saw her kissing your cheek.”  
“That’s ridiculous.” Draco insisted.  
“It’s not. Daphne and Lavender agree that he’s in love with you and just too dense to realize it. And Luna thinks so, too.”

“You’re in touch with Luna?” the blond asked, taken by surprise.  
“Yes. And don’t try to change the subject.”  
“Well, they’re all wrong. Harry and I are just friends.”

“For now. But don’t worry, darling. We’ll make him realize that he’s head over heels for you. I’ve already got a few ideas.” Pansy let him know.

“I don’t want to hear them.”  
“Come on, Draco. You need my help.” she claimed.  
“No, I don’t. Please stay out of it.”  
“Sorry, I can’t. You’ve been in love with the messy haired git for ages. I really don’t understand the appeal, but whatever. The thing is, I just can’t stand your pining any longer.”

The blond pinched the bridge of his nose. “I appreciate your concern, Pans. Really.” he assured. Denying would get him nowhere, that much he knew. He had been in love with Harry ever since fifth year after all and Pansy knew it. “But I’m not going to pursue Harry.” He held up his hand to stop her protest. “If he really does have feelings for me, then I want him to realize it on his own. I don’t want to push him into something he’s not ready for.”

“You’re such a fucking Hufflepuff sometimes.” she complained.  
“Does that mean you’ll back off?”  
“Yes, alright. I won’t try to help you.”  
“Thank you.”  
“But do you really think he’s going to do something about it, once he realizes that he has feelings for you? If he even realizes it.”  
“He’s a Gryffindor.” Draco reminded.

***

The afternoon went by in a breeze, amidst a lot of talking and catching up. Once she was done questioning him about Harry, Pansy told him about Pierre, a boy she had started dating recently. Draco ended up staying for dinner and only left after it had gotten dark. He felt a little bad for leaving Harry alone with Andromeda and his mother the whole day, but it had been so good to see Pansy again.

When he got home he found his mother and aunt sitting in the living room, listening to the wireless. His mother asked about Pansy, so he told her a little about his visit, before bidding both women goodnight. Harry was lying on the camp bed, reading a Quidditch magazine when Draco entered his bedroom.

“Hey, did you have fun?” the Gryffindor asked without looking up.  
“Yes, we did. It was great to see her again.”  
“How is she?”  
“She’s fine. She really likes Beauxbatons. She found a lot of friends. And she even starting dating someone.”  
“That’s good.” Harry said, finally looking up from his magazine to give him a smile.

“And how was your day?” Draco wanted to know.  
“It was good. I had a long talk with your mum, about my nightmares and stuff. And then I spent some time with Teddy.”  
“Sounds nice.”  
“Hmm.. he’s growing so fast. Andromeda agreed that I can buy him a broom next Christmas.”  
“Really? I didn’t get my first broom until I was three. Mother was scared I’d hurt myself.” the blond remembered.

“I got one for my first birthday. Sirius bought it for me.” Harry said softly. “I can’t remember, but.. I found a letter from my mum. She had written to Sirius about how I loved the gift. There was even a picture.”

He looked sad, like he always did when he talked about his family. Draco hesitated slightly, before giving in to his urge and drawing the younger boy into a hug. Harry leaned against him for a moment before pulling away.

“Sorry. I didn’t mean to get sentimental.” he mumbled.  
“That’s okay. Christmas is the time to get sentimental, I guess.”  
“Hmm…”

“Your first birthday, huh? That at least explains why you seemed to be a natural at handling a broom.” the blond mused, trying to distract Harry from his painful memories.  
“I hadn’t been on a broom since then, you git. I’m just a natural at flying.”  
“Of course you are.”  
“Yeah, that’s why I beat you at Quidditch so often.”  
“Hey, I won our last seekers game, remember?”  
“And I won the two before that.” Harry shot back. He was grinning again, the sad atmosphere dispelled. Draco congratulated himself silently.

***

“It’s snowing again. You’ll need a thick coat tomorrow.” Narcissa remarked idly.  
“Pansy and I probably won’t be spending much time outside.” Draco argued.  
“And you’d better use the floo. I don’t want you apparating in that weather.” his mother continued as if she hadn’t heard him.  
“Yes, mother.” Arguing with her never got him anywhere.

She seemed happy with his agreement, so Draco focused his attention back on the wireless, where a Christmas special was playing. But all too soon his mind kept drifting back to Harry. The Gryffindor had left early this morning to spend Christmas Eve and the following two days with the Weasleys. The blond wasn’t sure whether he felt more jealous or worried.

A sharp little cry startled him out of his musings. His mother was on her feet in an instant, giving him a smile.  
“It’s okay. I’ll get him.”

Andromeda was currently at the Burrow as well. The Weasley family had invited her to their Christmas dinner and she hadn’t had the heart to decline. So Narcissa and Draco were looking after little Teddy. The blond suspected that his mother was quite happy about this. She adored the baby. There were no grandchildren in her future and he suspected she knew it, though he had yet to openly tell her that he was gay.

It took a long time until she returned, but she was smiling when she sat back down. Draco contemplated telling her now. It was a good opportunity. They were alone in the house. Andromeda wouldn’t be back for at least another hour. They could talk freely. 

“Mother?”  
“Yes?”  
“I'm gay.”

He paled as soon as the words left his mouth. He hadn't meant to just blurt it out like that. He'd wanted to ease into the conversation, but something about the look on his mother's face had made him say the words. Just like that.

“I'm aware, darling.” Narcissa said with a smile.

So she had known. Of course she had. He had never been able to keep secrets from her. Still that didn't mean that she approved.

“And do you.. I mean are you...?” he stammered.

She got up and walked over, taking a seat next to him on the couch and placing a hand on his shoulder.

“You are my son, Draco. I will always love you, no matter what. Your preferences aren't going to change that.” she declared.

Draco felt relief washing over him. But still... “I'm not going to marry a witch.” he felt the need to let her know.  
“Of course not. I don't expect you to.”  
“That means I won't have children. It'll be the end of the Malfoy line.”

Narcissa sighed. “First of all, I don't care about the Malfoy line. Of course your father will think differently, but his opinion on this doesn't matter. And neither does anyone else's. If you want to have children you could consider adopting. If you don't want children that's just as well. It's your life and your decision. I just want you to be happy, Draco.”

He felt choked up by her reassurances. Her unconditional love for him. “Thank you, mother.” he whispered, leaning over to hug her.  
“Oh darling, you're...”

But Draco didn't find out what she was going to say, because the moment was broken by the chime of the floo. Seconds later Andromeda’s head appeared in the flames.

“Draco, you need to come! It’s Harry…”

He was at the fireplace before he even fully realized that he was moving. Without thinking he grabbed a handful of floo powder and called out “The Burrow!”, stumbling out of the fireplace at the Weasley home only seconds later. Andromeda grabbed his arm to steady him.

“Over there.”

He didn’t spare a glance for his surroundings or the people standing around in varying degrees of shock. He only had eyes for Harry, who had backed up against the wall of the cramped living room. He was deathly pale and gasping as if he couldn’t get air into his lungs. His eyes were wide with panic. And all around him his wild magic was pulsing in angry dark waves, ready to lash out.

Draco ran up to him and forcefully grabbed his upper arms, tamping down his own rising panic.  
“Harry, look at me! Breathe!” he ordered. “You know how it works. In through your nose, out through your mouth. Come on, Harry. I’m here. I’ve got you. It’s okay. Just breathe with me.”

Slowly, too slowly the Gryffindor complied, starting to take deep, gasping breaths. Draco kept his tight hold on his upper arms and continued to talk in a low, even tone.

“That’s it, Harry. Just like that. In through your nose, out through your mouth. You’re doing great. Will it back down. Just like we practised. Feel your magic. Let it even out with your breathing. In … and out. Yes, just like that.”

Harry’s breathing became deeper and more even. Draco felt the magic around them receding bit by bit, but kept up his litany of soothing words until even the last tendrils faded away. The younger boy looked exhausted and heartbroken, so he pulled him into a tight hug.

“It’s okay. You did good. I’m so proud of you.”

Harry didn’t answer. He only buried his face in the crook of Draco’s neck and clung to him even more. Draco stroked his back gently.

“Harry…” Granger called hesitantly and Draco felt the Gryffindor stiffen in his arms. His instincts were screaming at him to get Harry out of here. Away from the people who had made him lose control. Who had reduced him to this frightened mess. But those people were Harry’s surrogate family. And he had no idea what had happened to provoke that outburst in the first place. He didn’t know what to do.

Luckily Andromeda took matters into her hands.  
“Harry should lie down. He needs rest.” she announced. “Draco, why don’t you take him home? I’ll be along shortly.”

He nodded, eternally grateful for his aunt’s quick thinking and led Harry over to the fireplace. The Gryffindor cast a look at the assorted Weasleys and mumbled a meek “Sorry”, before allowing Draco to bundle him into the floo.

Narcissa was awaiting them with mugs of steaming herbal tea. She ushered Harry into a seat and draped a blanket over his shoulders. Draco perched on the arm of his chair.

“Do you want to talk about it?”

The Gryffindor shook his head, so they drank their tea in silence. Andromeda appeared a few minutes later. She let them know that she’d explained everything to the Weasleys and that he wouldn’t have to return to the Burrow if he didn’t want to. She also assured Harry that it hadn’t been his fault, but Draco could tell that he didn’t believe her.

“You should try to get some sleep.” Narcissa suggested gently.  
The Gryffindor nodded and got to his feet a little shakily.

Draco was dying to ask his aunt what exactly had happened. But he didn’t want to leave Harry alone right now. So he tamped down his curiosity and declared that he was tired and would be heading to bed as well.

They didn’t talk as they walked to his room. Harry went to the bathroom first, as was their usual routine. When Draco returned to his bedroom after brushing his teeth and getting ready for bed, the younger boy had already buried beneath the covers. Knowing that his assurances wouldn’t help, the Slytherin kept his mouth shut and got into his own bed, shutting off the light, but leaving the curtains open so the room was illuminated by a sliver of moonlight.

He had no idea how long he had lain in the near darkness, staring up at the ceiling, when the rustling of bed-covers told him that Harry was getting up. He turned onto his side as he heard the Gryffindor padding closer. His eyes had adjusted to the little light well enough to make out more than just a dark silhouette. Harry looked like a lost little boy as he stood there, reaching a hesitant hand towards the bed-covers.

“Can I…?”

Draco knew that it must’ve cost him a lot to even ask. The Gryffindor was proud and hated feeling helpless. He scooted back a bit and raised the covers in silent invitation. Harry crawled into bed beside him and allowed the blond to pull him into his arms. He rested his head on Draco’s chest, every move cautious, like he expected to be shoved away or made fun of any moment.

“Is that.. okay?” he whispered softly.  
“Of course it is.” Draco assured.

He started carding his fingers through the dark strands of Harry’s hair, surprised how silky it felt. Slowly the tension drained out of the other boy’s body and he relaxed, putting his weight more fully on Draco. The Slytherin didn’t mind. He continued to hold him and pet his hair until his breathing evened out and he fell asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, what do you think? Was that last bit too unlike Harry? Crawling into Draco's bed? I wasn't sure, but I really wanted the boys to cuddle.  
And in case you're wondering - the scene that's been on my mind since I started this story was Harry losing control at the Burrow and Draco coming to the rescue.


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again a big thanks for all the lovely and encouraging comments.

Harry blinked his eyes open sleepily, feeling disoriented for a moment. But the memory of the previous day returned all too quickly and he blushed when he realized that he was still half-draped over Draco. He scooted away and jumped a little when the blond murmured a soft “Good Morning.”

“Morning.”  
“Are you feeling better?”  
Harry nodded. “Yeah. Sorry for… using you as a pillow.”  
“No need to apologize.” Draco assured.

He seemed to sense Harry’s discomfort, because he summoned the younger boy’s glasses from the other side of the room and handed them over without a word. Harry felt a little better after he’d put them on, but he was still ashamed at his own behaviour last night. Crawling into Draco’s bed like a little kid. What had he been thinking?

“Do you want to talk about it?”  
“What?” he yelped.  
“What happened with the Weasleys yesterday. Do you want to talk about it?” Draco repeated.

The Gryffindor shrugged, knowing that he’d have to face the consequences sooner rather than later. He wouldn’t put it past Ron and Hermione to show up today. Maybe talking about it would help with the inevitable confrontation.

“It wasn’t so bad at first.” he said softly. “I mean, the atmosphere was a bit strange, but not horribly so. Molly wasn’t mad at me for not answering her letter. Not that I really expected her to be. And Ron and Hermione … seeing them again felt good. I’ve missed them.” he looked at the blond apologetically, but Draco just motioned for him to continue.

“They apologized again and we talked a bit. I told them that I understood and that Hermione had been right about us needing to go separate ways for once. They told me about their visit in Australia and Hermione asked about my lessons. It was nice. And I managed to keep my temper in check the whole time. I did that breathing thing you taught me and it worked. I was really proud of myself.”

“You have every right to be.” Draco said quickly.  
Harry smiled sadly. He hadn’t done so well later…

“I was starting to relax. I guess that was my mistake.” he mumbled bitterly. “I spent most of the day with Ron and Hermione up in Ron’s room, talking or playing games. We only came down for dinner. By that time the whole family had arrived. And Andromeda too. Dinner was a bit awkward. I think… it was because of Fred’s absence. Or maybe that’s just part of it. I'm not sure. It was very quiet, you know? And Christmas dinner at the Burrow was never quiet in the past. So… that was a bit strange as well, but still not too bad, I guess. After dinner was when it got really bad. Ginny said some things and George … I think he was drunk…”

He shuddered, remembering how quickly it had all escalated. Of course Molly hadn’t thought anything by it when she’d asked about Teddy. Just like Andromeda hadn’t when she’d let them know that Narcissa and Draco were looking after him. But then George had slurred some shit about her leaving her grandson in the hands of death eaters. 

Andromeda had been very calm and collected about defending her sister and nephew. Harry not so much. Which of course had provoked George into spewing even more nasty comments about both Malfoys and then Ginny had gotten involved, telling everyone that he and Draco were all cosy now, as she’d put it. Which of course had pissed off Ron, who had accused Harry of betraying them. Suddenly everyone had been yelling and he hadn’t noticed that his magic was starting to react to his anger and…

“Harry?” Draco’s soft voice startled him.  
“I didn’t realize that my magic was starting to act up. And then it was too late and … I couldn’t stop it.”

He remembered his fear and panic as he’d realized what was happening. Remembered the shocked looks of the Weasley family. The fear in their eyes. How they had all inched away from him. Their reaction had only made things worse. He’d fought so hard to bring his magic back under control, but it hadn’t worked. Not until Draco had shown up.

“Hey, it’s okay.” the blond murmured, pulling Harry into his arms again and the Gryffindor realized that he was shivering.  
“No, it’s not. You’ve seen me, Draco! It hasn’t been that bad in months. I thought I was getting better.”  
“You are.” Draco argued.  
“Didn’t feel like it.” the younger boy said bitterly, pulling away.

“Because you’re expecting too much. These things take time, Harry.” the Slytherin explained. “Your control has already gotten better. You managed to keep your powers in check when you were talking to Weasley and Granger. That is progress. And even after your powers had gotten out of control you still managed to hold back. Your magic didn’t strike out. You willed it back down.”

“I wouldn’t have managed that without your help.” Harry pointed out.  
“Doesn’t matter. What matters is that you did manage. And you held it back without me there. You’re making progress. Just give it more time. We’ll continue to train and in two or three months you won’t need my help any longer.”  
“How can you be so sure?”  
“Harry, you’re the most stubborn prick I know. You won’t give up until you got the hang of it.”

The Gryffindor couldn’t help but laugh. He wasn’t so sure. But Draco’s optimism was contagious. He did want to get the hang of it. If only because Draco believed in him and he didn’t want to disappoint his friend.

“And now come on. Let’s get dressed. I believe there are some presents waiting for us in the living room.” the blond joked.  
“Oh, right.”

They both got ready in record time and headed to the living room together. Andromeda tried to get them to eat breakfast first, but Narcissa laughed and said: “Oh, let the boys have their fun, Andi. You know they won’t be able to sit still until they’ve opened their presents.”  
“You spoil them too much, Cissy.” the dark-haired woman complained, but made no more objections.

Harry opened the first package and felt a little pang when it turned out to be a new broom servicing kit from Hermione. He’d meant to open his presents with her and Ron, like he’d done pretty much every year since coming to Hogwarts. But he pushed the feeling aside and reached for the next one.

Hermione had also gotten him a book about coping with stress and traumata and Ron had gotten him a new sneakoscope. There was the obligatory Weasley sweater and different sweets, a new diary from Narcissa and Quidditch gloves from Andromeda. Luna had knitted him a very colourful, fuzzy scarf.

He opened Draco’s present last. At first glance he thought the blond had gotten him a book, but then he noticed that it was actually a photo album. He opened the first page and looked at it curiously. The pictures were obviously quite a few years old and wizard made. They showed a small dark-haired boy, sitting in an ornate crib and waving his tiny fists. Harry leafed through a few more pages, finding more pictures of the same boy, older now and starting to look familiar.

“Is that… Sirius?” he asked in a whisper, looking up and meeting Draco’s eyes.  
“Yes, it is.” the blond confirmed. “You showed me the album of your parents and I noticed that there were almost no pictures of him. So I asked mother and aunt Andromeda and .. well.”

Harry didn’t know what to say. He continued to leaf through the pages. There were more pictures of Sirius as a boy, some with his brother and also two family portraits. The pictures continued seemingly all through his years at Hogwarts and even a bit beyond that. There were also photos of Sirius and James Potter with the Gryffindor Quidditch team and what looked like a few newspaper clippings.

“I found out that there was a student newspaper for a couple of years. The Hogwarts Howler. I contacted one of the students who ran it and she had actually kept a few issues. She sent me copies of what she could find on Sirius and your parents.” Draco explained. “The family and children pictures are from the Black family archives and most of the other ones are from Andromeda.”

Harry closed the album, blinking back tears. “Thank you.”  
“You’re welcome.”  
“I only got you Quidditch tickets.” the dark-haired boy said a little dumbly.  
“Oh, yes. You’ve only got me VIP-tickets for Puddlemere United, my favourite team. How could you?” the blond deadpanned.  
Harry chuckled and gave him a shove. “Git.”

“Well, now that you’ve opened your presents and made a mess of the living room, perhaps we could have breakfast?” Andromeda asked drily. But she was smiling as well.

***

Harry was leafing through the photo album for what felt like the hundredths time. The last few pages contained articles from the Hogwarts student magazine. There were two about the Quidditch team, with pictures of his dad and Sirius. Another one was about a prank they had pulled on McGonagall. And there was also an article about Slughorn's best Potions students, which featured his mother.

A sudden knock at the door had him jumping in surprise. Draco had left about an hour ago to meet Parkinson, after Harry had assured him repeatedly that he would be fine and there was really no need to cancel his plans. The Gryffindor had retreated back to Draco's room once his friend had left.

“Come in.” he called and Andromeda poked her head into the room.  
“You have visitors, Harry.” she let him know.  
“Ron and Hermione?”  
“Yes. I asked them to wait in the living room. I can also tell them to leave if you don't feel ready to face them.”  
“No, it's okay. But thanks.”

He carefully put the album down on his camp bed and made his way to the living room. He didn't really want to face his friends right now, but he also knew that waiting wouldn't make it any easier to deal with them.

When he entered the living room, Hermione got up from the couch, took a step towards him, but then stopped, as if unsure how to behave. And he hated it. Hated the worried look she gave him, the way Ron looked to her for guidance, the awkwardness that had arisen between them. 

“Hey guys. Why don't we go for a walk?” he suggested. He had no idea how this conversation would go and if it went bad he didn't want to accidentally destroy Andromeda's living room. Ron and Hermione exchanged a worried glance and agreed.

It had stopped snowing during the night and now the sun had come out, so it was actually a really nice day. They put on warm coats, scarves and hats and started strolling away from the house. Harry led his friends down a narrow path into an open field. Nothing to destroy here. Perfect. He took a deep breath and turned to face them.

“I'm sorry for what happened yesterday.”  
“We're sorry, too.” Hermione hurried to assure.  
“Yeah, mate. Things got pretty out of line.” Ron added.

Awkward silence followed their words and Harry once again wondered how it had come to this. They were his best friends. The people who should know him better than anyone else. They had gone through so much together. There should be no awkwardness between them. Hermione shouldn't be so timid about speaking up.

“We thought you've gotten better. With your magic, I mean. If we'd known...”  
“It has gotten better.” Harry interrupted.

Once again his friends exchanged worried looks.  
“Harry...” Hermione started again.  
“I haven't had an outburst that bad in months. Really.”  
“I believe you. But... “  
“We're a bit worried, mate.” Ron jumped in. “Yesterday was pretty bad.”  
“I know. And I'm really sorry.” Harry said again.

“Have you considered … getting professional help?” Hermione asked hesitantly.   
Ron glanced at her quickly before facing Harry again. He looked like he expected the dark-haired boy to explode any moment.

“I'm seeing a mind healer.” Harry let them know. He felt no need to tell them that the mind healer in question was actually Draco's mum and that she wasn't even a fully qualified healer.

“Really?” Hermione breathed in obvious relief.  
“Yeah. Since August. I've also been to see her on the first day of Christmas break.”  
“That's good.”  
“And you've gotten better?” Ron asked.

“I have. I wasn't sure at first, but talking about everything really helps. And I started a diary.” Harry hesitated slightly, before adding: “I'm also working on my control. Draco's a great help with that.” Then he waited for their reaction, concentrating on his breathing like the blond had shown him. Just in case they reacted badly.

“He is?” Ron asked doubtfully.  
Hermione gave him a very unsubtle look. “He certainly seemed to know what he was doing yesterday.”  
“He is a great help.” Harry repeated firmly.  
“If you say so.” 

The red-head still didn't look like he believed him. Hermione once again tried to get him to shut up with a dark look. It was as if she thought one wrong word from them would make Harry lose control. He couldn't even blame them, after what had happened yesterday. But it still hurt.

“Of course we believe you, Harry.” she assured. “And we're really sorry for the way we reacted yesterday. It was just … unexpected.”

“I know. And I know I should have told you about Draco earlier. I just had no idea how to bring it up.” Harry admitted. “I mean, he did a lot of bad stuff in the past. I haven't forgotten that. But he's changed. He's sorry for the way he acted. He really is.”

“But... you've never ...” Ron mumbled, looking slightly sick.

“I'm not exactly sure how it happened.” Harry said with a shrug. “We saw each other at Andromeda's and he helped me one time when my magic whacked out. After that we started talking and … well, we agreed to put the past behind us and … things just sort of … evolved. He's been there for me, you know?”

He had no idea how else to explain. How to make them understand. He could tell them how Draco always comforted him after a nightmare. How the blond helped him work on his control. He could tell them about Halloween and how Draco had helped him through the day. But would they understand then?

“It's okay, Harry. You don't need to justify yourself.” Hermione cut in. “I can't say I understand or that I'm happy about it, but... you're our friend. And as long as you're happy, we'll support you. Don't we, Ron?”

“Of course we do.” the red-head agreed. “I don't get why it has to be Malfoy of all people, but if you're happy...”  
“I am.” Harry assured, glad that they were at least trying to accept his friendship with Draco.  
“Okay. I guess then I'll try to be nice to the ferret. As long as he doesn't try to piss me off.”  
“Thank you, Ron. That means a lot to me.” 

And it did. Maybe they could learn to like the blond as well, if they got to know him a little better. He could always hope, right?

“Do you want to come back to the Burrow with us?” Ron asked hopefully. “Ginny won't give you any more crap. Mum made sure of that. And George already left. He's going to spend a few days with Lee Jordan and a few other friends. Not sure if Percy is going to keep his mouth shut, but who cares what Perce thinks, eh?”

Harry hesitated slightly. He didn't want to disappoint them. But he also knew that he couldn't simply go back and pretend like nothing had happened. He didn't want to face the rest of the Weasley family. At least not yet.

“Thanks for the offer, but I think it's better if I stay here for now. I'll stop by in a few days, okay?”  
“Of course, Harry. We understand.” Hermione said, though she didn't look happy.  
“Door's always open for you, mate. Come by whenever you like.”  
“I will. Thanks.”

***

The confrontation had gone better than expected, but Harry still felt drained when Ron and Hermione left again and he was secretly glad to see them go. He hoped things between them would get better with time. Deep down he couldn't help but fear losing his best friends. Fear that they would make him choose between them and Draco.

Luckily he didn't have much time to dwell on those dark thoughts. About twenty minutes after his friends had left, the floo flared again and Draco stepped out of the flames, soon followed by Parkinson.  
“Potter, get your ass off the couch!” she commanded.

Draco rolled his eyes and flopped down next to Harry. “Pansy has decided that we need to visit Muggle London. And since we both don't have much experience when it comes to dealing with Muggles, we were hoping you'd come with us.” he explained.

“I did not just decide it. You liked the idea.” the girl pointed out.  
“Whatever. So Harry, will you come?”  
The Gryffindor shrugged, wondering why Parkinson had started snickering at Draco's words. “Sure, why not.”  
“Great. Get your coat.”

Harry did just that, slipping on his winter coat, scarf and hat again. When he returned to the living room, Parkinson stepped into his path with a determined look.

“Draco insist that I need to apologize.”  
“You don't...”  
“Yes, I do, Potter. I tried to throw you to the dark lord. And that was wrong. I'm sorry, okay?”  
“It's okay. I understand. You were scared. We all were. I don't hold it against you.”   
“Really?”  
“Yes, really. I want to put the past behind me, Parkinson. Maybe we can start over?”  
She gave him a critical look, but then she nodded and a grin spread over her face. “Call me Pansy.”

***

It was obvious that Pansy had planned this excursion no matter what she said, because she knew exactly where she wanted to go. Their first stop was Oxford Street, where they looked at the glowing lights and beautiful decoration. Next they visited Trafalgar Square to see the huge Christmas tree. From there Harry soon lost count of the places she dragged them to.

They walked through Christmas markets and stuffed themselves with various foods (Pansy had even remembered to bring Muggle money), went ice skating (which Harry was really bad at, much to the two Slytherin's amusement) and looked at the various trinkets and odd items on sale. Harry had to explain quite a few Muggle items to the other two and Pansy seemed intent on spending all of her money on the most useless stuff she could find.

They returned home just in time for dinner, laden with shopping bags and wearing silly Santa hats and hungry again already, despite all the food they had consumed. Harry felt light and happy. As a child he'd never been allowed to visit the Christmas markets, so it had been just as much of a wonder for him as for the other two. He also couldn't remember the last time he'd laughed so much. 

“I can understand why she's your best friend.” he commented later, when they were just about to go to bed. “She's really fun to be around. I never would have guessed.”

“She doesn't let many people see this side of her.” Draco let him know.  
“Oh. I guess I should feel privileged then.”  
“Yes, you should.”  
“I'm glad you allowed me to tag along today. I had fun.”

It had been very different than spending a day with Ron and Hermione. Pansy didn't lecture like Hermione did. She also didn't seem to care much what other people thought of her. She loved to gossip and make fun of other people, but not in a cruel way, like Harry had expected. Her running commentary had actually been hilarious. Draco on the other hand was more laid back and quiet than Ron, but never missed a chance to inject his own witty comments.

“I'm glad you came with us.” the blond said quietly.  
“We should visit Muggle London more often.”  
“Oh we will. Did you already forget that we promised Pansy to go clubbing with her once exams are over?”  
“I think I might regret that promise.” Harry mused.  
“We both will. But there's no backing out. Pansy always gets her way.”  
“I'll be sure to remember that.”


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again a huge thanks for all the lovely comments. And sorry I made you wait so long for the new chapter. I hope it was worth it. And I have to tell you that this story is slowly coming to an end. I've planned two more chapters. And maybe an epilogue.

Christmas holidays were over in no time at all. Before Draco really knew it, they were already back at King's Cross, ready to return to Hogwarts. Harry had visited the Weasleys a couple of times, but always returned after only a few hours. He didn't talk about it much, but Draco got the feeling that things were still strained.

Therefore he was just as surprised as Harry to find Weasley and Granger waiting for them on Platform 9 ¾. 

“Mum brought Ginny and we tagged along. Thought we'd see you off.” Weasley explained.  
“I hope that's alright.” Granger added, glancing sideways at Draco.  
“Yeah, sure.” Harry muttered.

For a moment they were just standing there, looking awkwardly at each other. So Draco decided to be the better man and apologize.

“I know I should have said it sooner, but I'm really sorry for the way I've treated you in the past. For making fun of your family, Weasley. And for calling you mudblood, Granger. And... for all the other stuff. I was a dick.”

Weasley looked so surprised that he had to stifle a laugh. Harry however was beaming at him, which made the whole thing worth it.

“Thank you, Malfoy.” Granger replied, the first to find her voice again. “I can't say that I'm just going to forgive and forget, but I appreciate it and I accept your apology. And I hope to … get to know you better in the future. I'm sure we can put our differences aside.”

“I'd like that.” the blond said. Not because he really wanted to get to know them better, but simply because he knew it would make Harry happy. Salazar, he was whipped. He tried to console himself with the fact that Weasley and Granger were only doing it for Harry too.

The red-head looked like he was struggling for words, flinching slightly at the look his girlfriend sent him. It was obvious who was wearing the pants in that relationship. Draco found it quite amusing.

Weasley had just opened his mouth, though Draco wasn't sure if he really knew what to say, when a loud squeal interrupted him. 

“Harry! Draco!”

Seconds later Lavender came running up to them, throwing her arms first around Harry and then around Draco, who returned the hug a little awkwardly. He was still getting used to her exuberant behaviour. 

“Oh, hello Hermione. Hi Won-won.”

Now Weasley looked like he'd swallowed his tongue. Draco tried to turn his chuckle into a cough, with limited success. 

“We're just here to see Harry off.” Granger said, her tone icy.   
“Oh, sure. In that case we should give you some privacy, huh? Come on, Draco. Daphne and Luna are saving us seats. We'll be in the second to last carriage, Harry. Come join us when you're done here.”

And with that she linked her arm through Draco's and dragged him onto the train. As soon as they were out of earshot she started giggling madly.

“Did you see Ron's face? I know it was bad of me, but I just couldn't resist.”  
“Bad? It was bloody brilliant.” the blond enthused, no longer trying to stifle his laughter either.  
“And Hermione was giving me her death-glare.”

They continued to make fun of Weasley and Granger until they found the compartment where Daphne and Luna were waiting. Draco wondered how he'd never before noticed how evil and funny Lavender could be.

Once they entered the compartment Lavender and Daphne embraced and shared a kiss. Draco averted his eyes, wondering how any guy could get off on seeing that. He ignored their happy reunion and instead joined Luna, asking about her holiday. Harry found them only a few minutes later.

“That was really evil, Lavender. Ron kept spluttering the whole time.” he admonished.  
“Sorry, Harry. I just had to.”  
“It was funny.” Draco came to her aid.  
“Of course you'd think so.”  
“You were trying not to laugh, too. I saw it.” Lavender claimed.  
Finally Harry's lips twitched. “Okay, maybe it was a bit funny.”

The train started moving soon after and everyone told stories about what they had done during the holidays. Of course Luna's were the most outrageous. According to her, she and her father had discovered two new magical creatures on their journey through Portugal. When the lunch trolley stopped by, Draco treated them all to a round of cauldron cakes. They passed the rest of the ride playing exploding snap and making plans to visit Hogsmeade next weekend.

When the train reached the station at Hogsmeade they got out and boarded a carriage together, only parting ways once they reached the great hall. While Daphne joined her sister, Draco was soon surrounded by his usual bunch of first-years, who all wanted to tell him about their holidays.

“We spent Christmas in France.” Alice let him know. “It was really exciting. We went skiing and ice-skating and we saw the Eiffel tower and visited a Muggle museum.”

“I spent Christmas at home. But we went to visit my aunt Iris and her family in Brighton during New Years Eve. And I was allowed to stay up and watch the fireworks on the seafront.” Derek chimed in when she paused to take a breath.

Of course Ivy, Mathilda and Kilian wanted to tell him all about their holidays as well. The blond listened to their chatter with a smile. Their enthusiasm was contagious and dinner flew by in a breeze.

***

Draco was sitting at his desk, putting the finishing touches on his Transfiguration essay when the door suddenly opened. He didn't bother looking up, expecting it to be Harry. The Grfyffindor had left about ten minutes ago to visit Hagrid.

“Did you forget something?” he asked, his eyes still fixed on his essay.  
“Not really.” Daphne replied.  
“We saw Harry leaving and thought we'd use the chance to talk to you.” Lavender added.  
The blond looked up with a sigh. “Has either of you ever heard of knocking?”

They completely ignored his protest. Of course they did. He liked both girls well enough. They could be funny and sometimes it was nice to gossip or discuss fashion with them. But there were also times when they were a real pain in the ass and he had the sinking feeling that it would be one of those times now.

Lavender made herself comfortable on his bed and Daphne joined her after only a slight hesitation. This relationship was obviously terrible for her sense of propriety, but he wisely refrained from commenting. He turned to face them, resigned to the fact that they wouldn't leave until they'd gotten their will. 

“Alright. What did you want to talk about?”  
“Harry of course.” Lavender replied, like that should've been obvious.  
“What about Harry?” Draco asked warily.  
“Have you snogged him yet?”  
“No.”

Both girls exchanged a glance.  
“But you've got a plan, right?” Lavender checked.  
“Plan?”  
“A plan to woo him. You were going to ask Pansy for help.” Daphne reminded. “What did she come up with?”  
“Nothing. There is no plan.”

“You're not actually telling me Pansy had no ideas?”  
“Oh I'm sure she had tons of ideas. Only I didn't want to hear them.” Draco let them know.  
“So you came up with something on your own?” the Slytherin girl guessed.  
“I already told you – there is no plan to woo Harry.”

Daphne regarded him with a frown, but her girlfriend suddenly grinned. “You're just going to make it up as you go then? That's very Gryffindor.” she complimented. “But do you really think it's such a good idea? Maybe a little planning would be better in this case.”

Draco rolled his eyes. “I'm not going to make anything up. Because I'm not going to do anything at all.” he clarified.  
“What do you mean, you're not going to do anything?” Lavender wanted to know.  
“Exactly what I said.”  
“But... Draco, you can't be serious.”  
“You need to do something.” Daphne agreed with her girlfriend.  
“Harry's never going to notice that you want him. He's just too dense. He needs a little push.”  
“Exactly. You need to start courting him.”

The blond pinched the bridge of his nose. Why had he thought becoming friends with them would be a good idea? Yes, they could be fun to hang out with. But they were way too interested in his love-life and right now they were only extremely annoying.

“Alright, listen to me. I know all of you girls are somehow under the delusion that Harry is secretly in love with me. And while I admit that I'd quite like it if this were true, I just can't believe it. And therefore I'm not going to do anything about it. Okay?”

“But, Draco...” Daphne whined.  
“Not buts.”  
“But he is in love with you. I'm sure of it. And he'd realise it if you were to court him a little more openly.”  
“Why won't you even try?” Lavender asked. “It can't hurt to try. I mean, what's the worst that could happen?”  
“It could ruin our friendship. That's the worst that could happen. And I'm not risking that.” 

He would rather keep his feelings hidden forever, if it meant that he could keep Harry in his life. As long as they were friends he at least had some part of the Gryffindor. That was better than nothing. He would be happy with that.

“So please, promise me you won't interfere. Both of you. I don't care if you only mean well. I don't want to lose Harry.”

The girls seemed to realize that his decision was final. Maybe they actually understood his reasoning. He wasn't sure. But at least they promised not to bother him any more. Now he only had to hope that they would really keep their noses out of his business. He wouldn't put it past them to try and play matchmaker. And that could only end in disaster. Of that he was sure.

***

Saturday dawned cold and grey. An icy wind howled around the castle and dark clouds promised even more snow. Draco didn't really feel like going outside in this weather, but unfortunately he had promised the girls that he would accompany them to Hogsmeade. And it seemed that a little snowstorm wasn't enough to make Daphne and Lavender change their plans. 

He might have been able to talk his way out of it, if Lavender hadn't cornered Harry during breakfast and made him promise to go. And of course Harry argued that Draco couldn't leave him all alone with the girls. Faced with the Gryffindor's puppy eyes he had no choice but to agree to come as well. Neville and Hannah got bullied into tagging along, too. After all, they had all agreed on this trip during the train ride back from London.

So the six of them dressed in warm clothes, cast a few charms for additional protection from the weather and made their way out into the cold. The walk down to Hogsmeade dragged on endlessly. Draco felt cold despite several warming charms and kept complaining loudly, but Daphne and Lavender were relentless. 

Another thing that bothered him about this excursion was the fact that it was two couples, Harry and him. Like a triple-date-thing. He had no doubt that the girls had planned it that way. He would have felt better if Luna had come with them, but since it wasn't a regular Hogsmeade weekend and she was a seventh year, she wouldn't have been allowed.

They finally reached the village, where Daphne dragged them into Gladrags. She and Lavender spent an awfully long time browsing through the shop and trying on different robes, but didn't buy anything in the end. At least Hannah found a new winter coat and Neville bought a hat. Next stop was Scrivenshafts, where Lavender took ages to pick a new quill.

“Are you going to spend an hour in every shop?” Harry complained loudly when they left again.  
“I can't just buy the first quill I see.” Lavender explained. “It has to suit me.”  
“It's a quill! And you didn't even buy anything in Gladrags!”  
“We didn't really need anything. But it's fun to just look and try on some things.” Daphne let him know.

Then Lavender suggested visiting the Glinting Goods next and Harry looked about ready to start tearing his hair out. Draco, who was used to shopping trips with Pansy and knew how the girls could get, decided to take pity on his friend.

“Why don't we split up? While you go to Glinting Goods, Harry and I can visit Spintwitches. I could do with a new pair of Quidditch gloves.” the blond suggested.

The girls didn't look too happy about this idea, but Harry immediately agreed.

“I don't need any jewellery either.” Hannah commented.  
“A girl always needs new jewellery.” Daphne insisted.  
“Well, I don't. But I need a birthday present for my uncle. He likes books, so I think I'm going to head over to Tomes and Scrolls.”  
“Good idea. There's a Herbology book professor Sprout mentioned to me. Maybe they'll have it. I'll come with you.” Neville decided.

“Okay. That's decided then.” Draco cut in, before the girls could start arguing. “Let's meet again in an hour or so. Maybe at the Three Broomsticks?”  
“Why don't we meet at Madam Puddifoot's instead?” Lavender cut in.   
“No!” Harry and Draco said in unison.  
“But she has the best tea.” Daphne claimed.  
“And it's such a lovely shop.” her girlfriend added.  
“I'm not setting foot in that shop. Never again!” Harry stated, crossing his arms.

Neville and Hannah wisely stayed out of the discussion. Draco glared at Daphne, wondering what the hell she was doing, trying to drag them into the haunt of happy couples. She batted her eyelashes at him and his scowl deepened.

“I'm with Harry on that one. If you want to have tea at Puddifoot's, you'll have to do it without us. We're going to the Three Broomsticks.” he declared.

“Alright, fine. The Three Broomsticks it is.” the Slytherin girl finally gave in with a huff.  
“Good. See you in an hour.”

They split up and headed in different directions. Draco was glad to get out of the cold again. While he decided on a pair of gloves, Harry looked around the shop.

“A shame they don't have brooms.” the Gryffindor commented.  
“Why? I thought you were still quite happy with your firebolt.”  
“Oh I am. But I wanted to look at kiddie-brooms. For Teddy.”  
The blond rolled his eyes. “Harry, Andromeda said you can buy him one for Christmas. That's still almost a year away.” he pointed out.  
“I know. But it couldn't hurt to look.”

Draco shook his head and didn't comment further. He paid for his gloves and they left the shop, heading for the Three Broomsticks. Surprisingly enough, they weren't the first ones to arrive. Neville and Hannah were already waiting at a table in the corner.

“I'll order drinks.” the Hufflepuff girl offered, getting to her feet. “Butterbeer okay?”

All three boys agreed, so she ushered Harry and Draco into the booth and headed to the counter. When she returned she asked them to scoot over, so she could sit next to Neville. Draco suddenly found himself pressed tightly against Harry. He gave Hannah a sharp look, wondering if she had done that on purpose. She looked perfectly innocent. Maybe a bit too innocent. He couldn't help but wonder what Daphne and Lavender might have told her. Bloody meddling hags.

They were halfway through their butterbeers when the two girls finally arrived. After taking seats and ordering hot chocolate they showed off the matching flower necklaces they had bought. Neville quickly identified the flowers as bluebells.

“Ohh those are pretty.” Hannah commented. “Do they have a special meaning?”  
“Bluebells are a sign for constancy, appreciation and never ending love.” Neville explained.  
“Which means they're perfect for us.” Lavender said. 

She glanced around to make sure no-one was looking their way, before dropping a quick kiss onto Daphne's lips. Harry choked on his butterbeer and started coughing violently. Draco thumped him on the back, glaring at the girls, who looked back innocently.

Thankfully no-one commented on the Gryffindor's reaction and the girls refrained from further shows of affection. They talked about harmless subjects, while they emptied their butterbeers and soon enough they left the pub. After a quick stop at Honeydukes they headed back to the school.

***

Lunch was almost over by the time they arrived back at Hogwarts, but they managed to grab a few sandwiches, before retreating to the library to get some homework done. Draco noticed that Harry kept glancing at the girls, obviously still shocked by their earlier revelation. Their little group only split up after leaving the library. The two couples disappeared for some alone time, while Harry and Draco returned to their room.

The blond wasn't surprised when the younger boy slumped into his desk chair and asked: “So... Daphne and Lavender are... dating?”  
“Yes, they are.”  
“And you knew?”

Draco shrugged. “I've known for a while. They don't exactly hide it.”  
Harry frowned. “I had no idea.”  
“I gathered as much.”  
“Don't look so smug. It's not like they're snogging in the common room or giving each other weird nick-names.”   
“Perhaps Lavender has grown up since dating Weasley.” the blond mused. “Or she's simply respecting Daphne's wish for privacy.”

The Gryffindor nodded thoughtfully. “But how did you know?”  
“I'm well versed in the art of subtlety.” Draco claimed, feeling no need to let his friend know that Daphne had informed him about her relationship.

Harry was surprisingly quiet for a while and a sudden, horrible thought occurred to Draco.

“Does it bother you?”  
The younger boy looked surprised. “That they're dating? No. Why should it?”  
“Well, I've heard that Muggles frown upon same-sex relationships. And you were raised by Muggles.”

“Not all Muggles are like that.” Harry claimed. “I mean, my aunt and uncle would have a huge problem with it. They hate anything that's not normal, as they put it. But it doesn't bother me. I was just surprised.” he assured.

“Good to know.”  
“Does that mean wizards are okay with it?” the Gryffindor asked.

“It is pretty accepted in wizarding society. Even among most purebloods it's common practice to just turn a blind eye.” Draco explained. “Of course it's a bit different for Daphne, since she's a first-born daughter of the sacred 28 and her parents don't have a male heir. She would usually be expected to marry a respectable pureblood to keep the line going. … Just like I would be expected to marry a girl, despite my preferences.”

He had no idea why he said it. He hadn't really meant to say it. It was just like Christmas eve with his mother. The words had tumbled out of his mouth without his consent. Because deep down he wanted Harry to know. More precisely, he wanted Harry to know and be okay with it.

“Wait… You're bent?” the dark-haired boy asked in obvious surprise.  
“Yeah.”  
“Oh. I had no idea.”  
“Does it ... bother you?” Draco asked hesitantly, forcing himself to meet Harry's eyes.  
“I already said I'm not bothered.”  
“By Daphne and Lavender. But what about me?”

Harry got up and walked over to Draco's bed, sitting down beside the blond.  
“You're my friend, Draco. That you like boys instead of girls doesn't change anything.”  
“Thank you.”  
“You weren't actually worried, were you? You should know me better by now.”  
“Sorry. I guess sometimes I just let my insecurities get the better of me.”  
The Gryffindor shook his head with a smile. “You're a nutter.” he said fondly, pulling the older boy into a hug.

Draco hugged him back, incredibly relieved that he'd finally told Harry and that it didn't change anything between them. He had been so scared it would make things awkward, especially considering the Gryffindor's reaction when he'd woken up in Draco's bed that one time. But the younger boy really didn't seem bothered at all. He sprawled over the blond's bed, like he often did when they were talking.

“So your parents want you to marry a girl?”  
“Well, father would insist on it, if he still had any control over my life. He wanted me to marry Daphne's sister.” Draco let him know. “Mother just wants me to be happy.”  
“So they know you're bent?”  
“I'm not sure if father knows. He probably wouldn't care either way. Mother knows and she's okay with it. Not thrilled, of course. But she accepts it.”  
“Of course she does. Your mum loves you.” Harry said, like it was obvious. Maybe it was.

“Want to play exploding snap?” the blond finally changed the topic.  
“Sure. I'll get the cards.”  
“Not on my bed, you fool. You scorched my pillow last time.”  
Harry rolled his eyes. “Fine, let's move over to my bed then.”  
“Okay.”  
“But no scorching my pillow to get back at me.”


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry that I kept you waiting. To make up for it, the new chapter is a bit longer. And a lot happens. Maybe too much? At first I thought about splitting it, but then decided against it. Sooo... only one more chapter to go.

Harry's eyes swept over the various books on his desk. Then he looked at his still half-empty parchment. With a groan he dropped his head on the desk. He didn't move when he heard the door open and the sound of heels clicking closer, stopping next to him.

“Is it a bad time?”  
Harry finally lifted his head. “Not at all, Lavender. Barge right in. No need to knock or anything.”

Of course she remained completely unaffected by his sarcastic reply. She always did. 

“What are you working on?” she asked.  
“Potions essay.”  
“Not going too well, huh?”  
“Why did I decide to take NEWT level Potions?”  
“Why does anyone? I was glad when I could finally drop the stupid subject.” Lavender said with a shrug, flopping down on his bed.

Harry watched her for a moment, before deciding to give up on his homework. Maybe he could somehow talk Draco into helping him later. Now he'd rather see what Lavender had come to pester him about. So he got up and laid down beside her on the bed.

She glanced at him with a grin. “I guess you don't mind Daphne and me then, huh?”  
“You mean that you're dating? No, why should I?”  
“Well... after your reaction at the Three Broomsticks yesterday...”  
He winced. “Yeah... sorry about that. I was just surprised is all.”  
“You really didn't know?”

“Why does everyone think I should have known? It's not like you snog in the common room or anything.” he pointed out.  
“Yes, well... Daphne's a bit shy.” Lavender let him know. “But really, we don't exactly hide it any more. And you spend so much time with us.”  
“You could have just told me.”  
“I didn't think we needed to. But I guess I underestimated just how oblivious you are.”

Harry scowled at her. “You were dating Ron. How should I have known you're suddenly into girls. I thought you were just friends, like you and Parvati.”  
“I've always been into girls and boys. It's called being bisexual, Harry.”  
“Well, I had no idea. I always thought you were straight.”  
“No-one is ever completely straight.” Lavender claimed.

He looked at her with a frown, wondering if she actually meant that or was just pulling his leg. She seemed serious enough, but you could never really tell with Lavender. She had a rather wicked sense of humour after all.

“You don't actually think that, do you?” he wondered.  
“Of course I do. I'm not saying everyone wants to shag someone of the same gender. Snog maybe, but...”  
“That's ridiculous.”  
“It's not. It's completely natural to feel attracted to both. Boys just don't like admitting it. But you can't tell me you never looked at a bloke and thought he's fit. Or that he has a nice smile or something like that.”

Harry opened his mouth to argue that of course he hadn't. But then he remembered looking at Draco and thinking that he had a very nice smile. Or looking at him and admiring the blond's natural grace.

Lavender grinned triumphantly. “See?”  
“I didn't...”  
“Don't even try to deny it, Harry. You're so easy to read. And you're blushing.” she sing-songed.  
“Sometimes I really hate you.” he grumbled.  
“No, you don't. And don't worry. Your secret is safe with me.”

“Soo... how did that even happen? With you and Daphne, I mean.” he tried to change the subject, uncomfortable with where this conversation was going.

Lavender's grin was all too knowing, but she let him get away with it. “Well, at first I did my best to avoid her. Which isn't easy when you're sharing a room. She tried to approach me a few times, but I always shot her down. I was rather nasty, I've got to admit. I was convinced that I could never be friends with a Slytherin.” she let him know. 

“But then one night I had a horrible nightmare. It was about Greyback. I woke up screaming and Daphne rushed over to comfort me. I was so out of it that I let her. The next day I was convinced that she would mock me. Instead she told me about her own nightmares and we started talking. I realized that she wasn't at all what I'd expected. She was smart and funny and very kind. So once I finally got over my stupid prejudices we quickly became friends. And then it just evolved into more.”

“Do your parents know?” Harry asked, truly curious after the things Draco had told him about purebloods and the sacred 28.

“My parents know that I'm bisexual. And they're okay with it. I think they guessed something, from my letters and my behaviour during Christmas holidays. But I haven't told them about Daphne yet. We agreed to wait until the end of the school year. Daphne is a bit worried about her parents' reaction.”

“She thinks they'll be angry?”  
“They won't like it, that's for sure. She's afraid they're going to disinherit her, once they find out.”  
“What? But that's stupid. Just because she's dating a girl?”  
“That's purebloods for you. The Greengrasses are rather strict in their beliefs and hold onto the old traditions. I'm really glad that my family is more progressive.”  
“I bet.”

Harry would never get all this pureblood nonsense. Why were some of those families hell bent on sticking to traditions and rules that dated back to the middle ages? It was ridiculous. Draco's mum was okay with her son being bent. She just wanted him to be happy. And she'd been raised with that whole pureblood stuff as well. So why couldn't others follow her example? Especially now, after the war.

“I'm glad I'm not a pureblood.” he muttered.  
“Not all of us are bad.” Lavender pointed out.  
“I know. But you were still raised with all that shit.”  
“Maybe our generation will finally make a difference. Break with the old traditions.” she mused.  
“Yeah, maybe.”

They both looked up when the door opened. Daphne stepped into the room and smiled when she spotted them. Harry wondered how someone with such a stuffy upbringing could neglect something as essential as knocking before entering someone else's room.

“There you are.” the Slytherin girl said.   
“I was just having a chat with Harry.”  
“I see. Do I need to worry about you stealing my girlfriend, Harry?”  
“No-one could ever steal me from you, love.” Lavender vowed.  
Harry rolled his eyes. “No chance. You're stuck with her.”

Daphne hesitated a moment, but then she shrugged and climbed onto his bed as well. So much for stuffy pureblood upbringing. Her parents obviously hadn't done a good job of teaching her manners.

“Sure, make yourself comfortable.” he drawled.  
“Other boys dream of having two hot girls in their bed, you know?” Lavender claimed.  
“Yeah? Why don't you go bother those blokes then?”  
“It's more fun to bother you.”

“So I take it you're okay with us?” Daphne cut in.  
“I'm totally fine with you two dating.” Harry assured. “As long as you don't start snogging in my bed that is.”  
“Oh please. I was raised with more class.”  
“Could've fooled me.”

His muttered words earned him a sharp jab in the ribs from Lavender. Without missing a beat he grabbed his pillow and used it to hit her in the face, but she only giggled in response, wrenched the pillow out of his hands and hit him right back. 

Of course Draco chose that moment to return from his tutoring session with the Slytherin first years. He stopped in the doorway and regarded them with raised eyebrows. 

“Am I interrupting your orgy?”  
“Not at all. We were waiting for you before we got started. A proper orgy needs at least four people.” Lavender shot back.

The blond snorted and walked over, flopping down beside Harry. The bedsprings creaked as if in protest.  
“If you break my bed, you're telling McGonagall.”   
Harry's words caused Lavender to dissolve into hysterical laughter.  
“Imagine the … the look on her f..face.” she got out between giggles. “If Harry told her his … his bed broke, because.. there were too many people in it!”

Harry could actually picture that look quite clearly. Obviously so could the others. Draco chuckled and Daphne started giggling as well. The Gryffindor couldn't help but laugh along.

“Mr. Potter! I am appalled. In all my years...” Draco ground out in a pretty perfect imitation of their headmistress, sending the others into another fit of laughter.

Once they had gotten themselves under control, the blond sat up. “On a more serious note... You” he poked Harry in the ribs “were supposed to meet me on the seventh floor.”

“Oh, shit. Sorry. I totally forgot.”  
“Yes, I've noticed.”  
“Sorry.” the Gryffindor apologized again.  
“No problem. Do you want to go now?”  
“Yeah, sure.”

He sat up as well and finally remembered the girls.   
“Err... we're just...”  
“Going to the room of requirement?” Lavender finished for him.  
“To work on your magic?” Daphne added.

Harry froze, staring at them in horror. They knew? But how could they know? Had Zabini let something slip after all? But Draco had been so sure he'd keep his mouth shut.

“Don't look so shocked, Harry.” the Gryffindor girl admonished. “We can keep a secret, you know?”  
“Exactly. We're not going to tell anyone.” her girlfriend added. 

Their reassurances did little to comfort him. And it seemed that Draco felt the same.  
“How much do you know?” the blond asked.  
“Just that Harry has some trouble with his magic.” Daphne answered.  
“And that you're helping him practice.”

Okay, that wasn't too bad. At least they didn't know the whole extent of his problems. And he did trust them, even though they hadn't been friends for long. He already knew that he could rely on both girls. But the fact that they knew still made him uncomfortable.

“Who else knows?”   
“Neville, I think. Though I'm not completely sure.” Lavender said.   
Which didn't surprise Harry all that much. He'd already guessed that Hermione might have told him something.  
“And Luna, of course.” Daphne chimed in. “She's the one who told us.”  
Not that surprising either. Luna had a knack for knowing things.

“Alright. Let's try to make sure that no-one else finds out, okay?” Draco suggested.  
“Of course. Like I said, we're not going to tell anyone.”  
“Good. Well then, let's go.”

Harry quietly followed the blond up to the seventh floor, mulling the conversation over in his head. So a few more people knew that he had trouble controlling his magic. Now that his initial panic at that revelation had subsided, he realized that it wasn't so bad. The girls wouldn't tell. And neither would Neville. And with a bit of luck he would learn to stop the outbursts soon enough. So what did it matter?

When they finally entered the room of requirement and Draco asked if he was okay, Harry assured him that he was fine. And he meant it.

***

Over the next couple of weeks things were starting to look up. Harry felt like he was getting better at recognizing the first signs of an outburst and Draco was confident that he'd be able to gain full control over his magic with just a bit more training.

Then one day Harry got dragged to Neville's room, only to find Dean and Seamus waiting there for them. Neville proceeded to lock the door and scold all three of them for behaving like a bunch of idiots and could they please get their heads out of their arses and make up already, because they were driving him insane.

Dean was the first one to apologize. He told Harry that he was sorry about the stupid things he'd said as well as his nasty behaviour towards Draco. Seamus reluctantly followed suit. They both agreed that the Slytherin had obviously changed and promised to give him a chance. Harry accepted their apology and said he was sorry as well. He also thanked Neville for kicking their asses and Seamus muttered that their friend could be “damn intimidating” when he wanted to be.

They spent over an hour talking and when they finally left Neville's room, Harry saw Draco sitting in the common room in deep discussion with Zabini.

“Did Lavender and Daphne put you up to it?” he wondered.  
Neville shrugged. “We might have had a little chat about the fact that you're all a bunch of stupid tossers, who need a push in the right direction.”  
Harry chuckled. “Thanks for the push, then.”

He was glad that he'd finally made up with Dean and Seamus and after only a few days it felt like there had never been a fight at all. He'd never been able to stay mad at his friends for long. Draco seemed to have a little more trouble reforging his friendship with Zabini, but the other Slytherin was really trying. Harry was pretty sure that Daphne had kicked his ass, even if she didn't admit it.

February brought surprisingly mild weather and the general mood in the castle seemed to lift with the temperatures. To Harry it felt like they were really getting over the war now. Most students were in high spirits and even the seventh and eighth years couldn't be dragged down by their immense workload, which was supposed to prepare them for their upcoming NEWTs.

His own mood had taken a definite upturn as well. Aside from a small group of fans, people had finally started to realize that he was just a normal person and he didn't get bothered as much any more. The hostility towards Slytherins and Draco in particular had lessened as well. While he still spent a lot of time with the blond, they also regularly ventured out into the common room now. Harry got to spend time with Dean and Seamus again and Draco had struck up a friendship with Terry Boot. Last weekend there had even been an impromptu eighth year Quidditch match.

So yes, all in all things were good. Usually. But today the Gryffindor was having an exceptionally bad day. It had started during breakfast, when a start-struck second year had spilled juice onto his robes, forcing him to run back to his dormitory and get changed. Of course this had made him late for Herbology and professor Sprout had not only scolded him, but also taken five points from Gryffindor.

Then he'd been a bit preoccupied in Potions and added too much aconite, almost melting his cauldron in the process. Only Draco's quick thinking had saved him there. It hadn't gotten much better after lessons, when he'd visited Hagrid instead of getting started with his homework. The half-giant had procured a cage full of Doxys for his next Care of Magical Creatures class. One of them had gotten lose and ended up biting Harry, resulting in a trip to the hospital wing.

When he'd left again (with his hand wrapped in a bandage, the weird taste from the antidote still in his mouth and his ears ringing from Madame Pomfrey's lecture about handling dangerous creatures) he'd run right into a group of girls. One of them had boldly offered to kiss his hand to make it better. Or any other body part he wished. Her friends had stood giggling in the background.

By then Harry was completely fed up with everything and it was probably only sheer luck that his powers hadn't whacked out yet. Well that and the antidote to the Doxy bite, which would dampen his magic for a few hours, according to Madam Pomfrey. He just wanted to collapse on his bed and wait for this horrible day to be over. 

But when he reached the entrance to the eighth year quarters he found it blocked by none other than Ginny and Justin, who were snogging like there was no tomorrow, completely oblivious to their surroundings. 

“Oi! Cut that out and let me through! Can't you snog elsewhere?”

The couple broke apart reluctantly, turning to stare at him.  
“Is there a problem?” Justin asked.  
“Yes, there is. You're in my way! So get a bloody move on.”  
“Hey, no need to be rude.” the Hufflepuff muttered.  
“You haven't seen rude yet. Don't test my patience! Not today.” Harry snarled.

Of course this only served to make Ginny round on him.  
“I can't believe you! We broke up, in case you've forgotten. You have no right to get jealous now!”  
“I'm not jealous!” the dark-haired boy protested.  
“You're sure acting like it.”  
“I just want to go to my room and you're blocking my way!”

Harry could feel the dull throb of his magic, prickling just beneath his skin. It seemed that Madam Pomfrey had been right about the side effects of the antidote. Usually his powers would start whacking out right about now. But all he felt was a slight, tingling sensation. Probably for the better, he suspected. He obviously looked pissed enough, because Justin tugged at Ginny's sleeve.

“Come on, sweetheart. Let's go somewhere else.” he urged.”  
“No! We were here first and I'm not leaving just because my ex is a jealous idiot!”  
“I'm not jealous!” Harry shouted. “I'm just angry because you're blocking my way and I really want to lie down. I wouldn't even care if you were shagging the whole Quidditch team!”

Ginny gasped in shock. Justin wisely inched away a few steps. Then the red-head stepped up to Harry and slapped him hard across the face. “You bastard!” she spat, grabbing her boyfriend's hand and dragging him off.

Harry slumped against the wall, feeling even more tired. And a little guilty for the way he'd acted. He hadn't meant to hurt his ex-girlfriend.

“You shouldn't be mad at Ginny.” a dreamy voice said to his right.  
Harry turned to face Luna, already used to her showing up seemingly out of nowhere.  
“I'm not jealous.” he felt the need to point out.  
“Of course not.” she agreed. “Ginny might be, though.”  
“Ginny is jealous?”  
“A bit. Or maybe she's just angry.”  
“Why would she be angry?” Aside from obvious reasons.  
“Because you fell in love with Draco.”

“What? But I'm not ...” the Gryffindor stammered.  
“Of course you are. You just haven't admitted it yet.”  
“But..”  
“That's okay, Harry. You're not ready yet. I'm sure Draco will wait for you.”

She gave him a serene smile and skipped down the corridor. Harry could only stare after her, stunned speechless. How could she think he was in love with Draco? That was completely ridiculous. He finally shook his head and went to his room, where he collapsed onto his bed and didn't move again until the blond dragged him down to dinner.

***

For the next few days Harry tried to get Luna's words out of his mind. But he just couldn't. They kept repeating over and over in his head, until he couldn't help but wonder if maybe she was right after all. 

“You can't tell me you never looked at a bloke and thought he's fit. Or that he has a nice smile or something like that.” Lavender had said. And he'd immediately thought of Draco. Of his smile, his effortless grace and enthusiasm. 

They had grown close over the last couple of months, yes. He probably felt closer to the blond than to anyone else at the moment. Ron and Hermione included. He loved spending time with Draco and it didn't even matter what they were doing. Whether they were talking, flying or even studying together.

But what exactly did that mean? They had become friends. Close friends. There was no doubt about that. But could it really be more than that? Could he really have fallen in love with the blond without even realizing it? Lavender had told him that she and Daphne had started out as friends, too. Daphne...

Suddenly he remembered the strange feeling in his chest the first time he'd seen her with Draco in their room. The feeling that had only intensified when she had kissed the blond's cheek. The same feeling he used to get whenever Draco mentioned Pansy. At least until he'd learned that she was dating that French bloke. And suddenly he recognized that feeling for what it was. Jealousy. Oh fuck!

He shot up from his chair, his homework completely forgotten. Stepping out into the common room he found it mostly deserted. No sign of Draco, which meant he was probably still at the library with Terry and Neville, working on their Herbology project. 

Harry quickly crossed the room, went down the other corridor and barged into the girls' room without knocking, realizing too late that they might be up to something he definitely didn't want to see. But lucky for him they were both merely engrossed in their homework. 

“I need your help!” he blurted, when they looked up at him.  
“Harry, what happened?” Lavender asked in alarm.  
“I... I'm in love with Draco!”

The Gryffindor girl squealed and pulled him into a hug. Daphne gave a huge sigh. “Oh finally! I thought you'd never realize it!”  
“What's that supposed to mean?” Harry wanted to know, squirming away from Lavender to look at her girlfriend.

“It means that pretty much everyone realized you're in love with Draco before you did.”  
“E...everyone knows? Draco too?”  
Daphne rolled her eyes. “No, he doesn't know. At least he doesn't believe it.”  
Well, that was at least something. “And … do you think he might...”  
“He's head over heels for you.” the Slytherin interrupted.

Harry wasn't sure if he believed her. He'd been so startled by the realization of his own feelings that he hadn't even considered the possibility that Draco might feel the same. Was it really possible that the blond liked him back? Should he just ask him?

“What am I supposed to do now?” he asked (rather stupidly, he had to admit).  
“Tell him, you moron!” Lavender shouted.  
“No wait! He can't just go up to Draco and say it.” Daphne cautioned.  
“Why not?”  
“Because Draco is a pureblood. And you made him wait this long. You have to do this properly. By courting him. Or at least make it a romantic declaration.”  
“Oh, yes!” the Gryffindor girl agreed.

“But...”  
“Don't worry. We'll help you, of course.” Lavender promised.  
“But...”  
“No buts, Harry. Just leave it to us.” Daphne ordered.

Harry had learned to pick his battles, especially with those two. So he sat down and listened to the girls' advice with growing worry. What the hell had he gotten himself into now?


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this is the last chapter. Once again a big thank you to everyone who left a comment. I hope you'll like the ending.
> 
> I googled the flower meanings, so if they're incorrect, blame the internet.

Harry was acting weird. Draco wasn't completely sure when it had started, but it seemed to be getting worse by the day. He appeared jittery and nervous and often he wouldn't be able to look the blond in the eye. He alternated between being his usual, touchy-feely self and shying away from any form of contact. He was staring at Draco when he thought the blond wouldn't notice. And sometimes he would compliment him on weird things like his pyjamas. (The blue ones he must have seen Draco wearing countless times over the last couple of months.) It was confusing as hell.

But whenever Draco asked him if something was wrong, the Gryffindor would assure him that everything was fine, before coming up with some stupid excuse to run off and avoid him for the next couple of hours. Only to act like nothing had happened when they met again.

Their friends weren't much help either. Daphne and Lavender had only giggled when he'd asked them if they had any idea what might be bothering Harry. Neville had shrugged and claimed that Harry had always been staring at Draco, so there was nothing unusual about that. Blaise and Terry had agreed with him. And Luna had merely assured him that she could sense no Wrackspurts around the Gryffindor. 

The blond was at his wits end. To him at least it was painfully clear that Harry was struggling with something. But how was he supposed to help, if he didn't even know what the problem was? He also felt a little hurt that Harry wouldn't confide in him. He'd really thought they were closer than that. Which prompted the thought that maybe he was the problem, though he couldn't fathom why Harry would have a problem with him now, all of a sudden. 

He just didn't know what to do and he felt that he'd surely go mad if his friend kept this up for much longer.

***

Draco woke up to find Harry staring at him. When the Gryffindor realized that he'd been caught he blushed profusely and quickly looked away. Draco rolled his eyes. This was getting ridiculous. He sat up and wondered if he should address the matter. Again.

“Your hair looks really nice like that.”  
“Huh?”  
“You... Err I... err … need a shower.” Harry stammered, jumping up and dashing out of the room.

The blond frowned, before conjuring a mirror, wondering if it had been meant as a joke. But his hair looked like it always did in the mornings. A little dishevelled maybe, though not nearly as bad as Harry's unruly mop.

He shook his head and sighed to himself. He really needed to figure out what was going on with the Gryffindor. Maybe he could corner him later and make him talk. With that thought in mind he got up and started getting ready for the day. 

Some time later he was just putting on his tie, when Harry finally returned to their room, already dressed and looking a bit flushed. 

“Hurry up, Draco. We don't want to be late for breakfast.”  
“Breakfast has barely started.” the Slytherin pointed out. “Why are you in such a hurry? It's usually a lot later when I finally manage to drag your arse out of bed and down to the great hall.”  
“I'm just... hungry.” the younger boy claimed not very convincingly.  
“You can go on without me.”  
“No-no. I'll wait.”

Draco rolled his eyes and finished getting ready while Harry continued to fidget beside him. When they left their room he studiously ignored the blond, staring straight ahead. As soon as they reached the great hall he headed for the Gryffindor table, taking a seat between Neville and Lavender and starting a heated discussion with them.

The Slytherin sat down at his own house table, where Luna was already waiting. Along with Daphne. 

“What are you already doing up?” he wondered. Daphne and her girlfriend were usually among the last to arrive.  
“Today's an important day.” she let him know.  
“Oh? And why is that?”  
“It's Valentine's day!”   
“Right.”

He pointedly turned away from her and focused his attention onto the first years. The last thing he wanted was to listen to Daphne getting all lovey-dovey about her girlfriend. His unrequited crush on Harry was bad enough. Even without the Gryffindor's weird behaviour and his friends rubbing their own happiness in his face.

He was engrossed in a discussion with little Kilian and didn't look up when the owls started arriving with the morning post. Until suddenly a handsome barn owl swooped down and dropped a bouquet of flowers right onto his toast. He frowned first at the flowers and then at the owl, who only hooted happily, before stealing some of his bacon and flying off again.

“You got flowers.” Derek stated the obvious.  
“It seems so.” Draco muttered, picking up the bouquet for closer inspection.  
“Why does someone send you flowers? You're a bloke.”  
“Yeah, so?”  
“Flowers are for girls.” the little boy explained.  
“You are so stupid! And sexist!” Alice yelled, whacking him with her book.  
“Am not!”  
“Are too!”

“I believe everyone loves getting flowers. Regardless of gender.” Draco intervened.  
“See?” Alice crowed, before asking who had sent the flowers.  
“I don't know. There's no card. Strange...”  
“You have a secret admirer.” Kilian concluded.

Draco frowned, wondering who would send him flowers. On Valentine's Day no less. He was a little scared that it might be meant as a joke.

“Did you know that every flower has a meaning?” Daphne chimed in.  
“Really?” Derek asked in obvious surprise.  
Alice rolled her eyes. “Of course. Every pureblood should know the language of flowers.” she declared imperiously.  
“Oh yeah? What do those mean then?” Derek asked, pointing to a large white blossom with pink tips.  
“That's an Amaryllis. It means splendid beauty.”  
“Ohhh... someone thinks you're beautiful.” little Mathilda chimed in, making Draco blush.

“What about that one?” Derek asked, pointing to a pink flower next.  
“Umm...”  
“Alstroemeria is a symbol of friendship.” Daphne explained  
“And that one?”  
“The Gardenia. It means secret admiration and love.” Alice answered promptly this time.  
“And this is a Dahlia.” Daphne took over again. “It has different meanings, but I believe in this combination it means 'Forever thine'.”

Draco's face felt like it was on fire, he was blushing so hard. Most of the other Slytherins had started craning their necks and listening in on the conversation.

“Is that clover?” Kilian asked. “What does that mean? I love Ireland?”  
Daphne giggled. “Not quite.”  
“It means 'Will you be mine?'” Draco whispered.

He looked down at the beautiful bouquet, gently touching the petals of one of the Gardenias. Everything about the whole thing screamed 'I love you'. But who might have sent it? He looked over at the Gryffindor table almost on instinct. Harry was staring at him. Their eyes met for only a second, before the Gryffindor blushed and averted his gaze. Next to him Lavender giggled and said something that made him blush even harder.

And Draco couldn't help wondering. Had Harry sent the flowers? Could it really be? Or was it only wishful thinking?

The bell interrupted his train of thought. He had just enough time to call a house-elf and ask him to place the flowers into a vase and take them to his dorm, before he had to hurry to the Transfiguration classroom.

But his thoughts kept returning to the flowers and the question of who had sent them. He couldn't stop himself from glancing at Harry again and again, but the Gryffindor never looked back. He appeared to listen closely to everything McGonagall was saying, which was very unlike him and only served to fuel Draco's suspicions.

The blond could barely concentrate during Transfiguration and it only got worse in Charms, when he suddenly found a piece of parchment fluttering onto his desk.

Your smile always brightens my day. I wish you would smile more often.

The words were written in a flowing, elegant script, which didn't look the slightest bit familiar. Not Harry then, he decided sadly, feeling foolish for ever thinking different. But when he looked around the room he found everyone busy making notes. Everyone but Harry, who was once again staring at him. This time the Gryffindor offered him a shy smile, before averting his eyes and blushing yet again. Draco was more confused than ever.

When he sat down for lunch the barn owl from that morning appeared again. This time she delivered a box of his favourite (and very expensive) chocolate. And again Harry was staring...

Of course Slughorn had them brewing Amortentia. Draco couldn't stop the wistful smile when the scent of Harry's aftershave wafted up from their cauldron. Once more his eyes were drawn to the younger boy and once more Harry was looking back. For a second their gazes met and he felt unable to breathe. Was he only imagining the soft look in Harry's eyes?

Then Slughorn stepped up to their table to compliment the Gryffindor on their perfect potion (never mind that Draco had done most of the work – as usual) and the moment was broken.

The Slytherin had seldom been so glad when lessons were done for the day. They returned to their dorm to pack their books away and he pulled out ink and parchment to get started on some homework. But he hadn't gotten far when Harry stepped up behind him.

“I thought we could go flying before dinner.” the younger boy suggested.  
“We've got to do our homework.”  
“It's not that much. We can still do it later. Or tomorrow.”  
“It's too cold for a Seekers game.” Draco complained.  
“No Snitch, then. Just the two of us on our brooms. Come on, Draco. Please.”  
“Alright. But just for an hour or so.” the Slytherin gave in before Harry could start giving him puppy eyes. He could never resist those and they both knew it.

They put on warm coats, gloves and hats, grabbed their brooms and made their way down to the pitch. Harry grinned at him and took off. After casting an additional warming charm, Draco followed him. For a while they just raced around the pitch and the surrounding area, chasing each other. Up and down, left then right, daring each other to fly higher, lower, faster. The blond laughed in pure delight. He loved Quidditch, but this was even better. Just the exhilaration of flight, without direct competition for once.

And he especially loved that he had more chances to watch Harry like this. The Gryffindor was born to fly. He always had total control of his broom, even when trying the most outrageous stunts. The wind was whipping his hair around and his cheeks were flushed, though Draco couldn't tell whether that was from the cold wind or the adrenalin.

They chased and circled each other and he didn't even feel the cold any longer, too caught up in their game and the joy on Harry's face. Only when it started to get dark did he take note of the time. With a start he realized that they had been out here a lot longer than originally intended. His stomach growled as if to prove him right.

“Harry, let's head back! It's getting dark and I'm hungry!” he called over to the Gryffindor.

The younger boy nodded and they both landed back on the pitch. Draco shouldered his broom and was about to walk off, when Harry grabbed his hand, pulling him in the opposite direction.

“Where are you going?”  
“Down to the lake.” the Gryffindor explained.  
“Harry, I'm hungry. It's already dinner-time.” the blond whined.  
“Just for a moment. I need to show you something.”  
“Can't you show me tomorrow?”  
“No, it has to be now.” Harry insisted.

Draco sighed in defeat and allowed the younger boy to pull him along, grumbling slightly under his breath. The things he did for that boy...

They walked along the lake and then entered a small copse of trees. He was about to complain again when Harry suddenly stopped. Looking ahead the blond couldn't help but gasp. Fairy lights twinkled in the bare branches of two large oak trees. A blanket was spread out on the ground underneath, with a picnic basket waiting at the side. Draco walked to the blanket in a daze, staring at the scene, before looking back at the Gryffindor.

“Harry...”  
“I thought we could eat here? Kreacher prepared all of your favourite food.”  
“You sent the flowers?” He'd meant it as a statement, but it came out as a question instead. His voice barely more than a whisper.

“I did.” Harry confirmed. “Neville helped, cause he knows a lot about flowers and stuff and I wanted to get the meaning right.”  
Draco felt about ready to faint. “The note in Charms?”  
“That was me as well.”  
“It wasn't your handwriting.” the Slytherin pointed out.  
“Lavender said I can't write it myself. And I though she had a point, cause you always say my handwriting is atrocious. So I asked Dean, cause his is really good.”

Harry was fidgeting now, clearly nervous. Draco couldn't do more than stare at him, which only seemed to make his anxiety worse.

“Luna set up the picnic. And Kreacher made the food. Do you like it? And Pansy said to send you chocolate. Was it too much? Or the flowers? Maybe you didn't like the flowers. I thought it might put you too much in the spotlight if I send them during breakfast, but Daphne and Lavender insisted and … Oh, shit, I think I was supposed to ask you to be my Valentine now, or something. I forgot...”

“Harry!” the blond finally interrupted the increasingly frantic monologue.  
“Yes?”  
“Shut up and kiss me.”

For a second the younger boy just stared at him. Then he heaved a huge sigh and closed the distance between them in two quick strides. Draco somehow expected him to smash their lips together in a rush. Instead Harry gently cupped his cheek, leaned in slowly and brushed his lips against the blond's. It was just a feather light touch at first, as if he was afraid of rejection. When Draco made no move to pull away he increased the pressure.

Still the kiss was gentle and sweet and seemed to last forever. When they broke apart they smiled at each other, before leaning in for another kiss. And another. And another. Draco had no idea how much time had gone by when Harry finally pulled back. His lips looked red and swollen and it took a lot of willpower not to kiss them again.

Instead the two boys settled down on the blanket and Harry unpacked the food, thoughtfully kept under a stasis charm. His house elf really had made all of Draco's favourite food, he realized. Which meant that the Gryffindor knew exactly what his favourite food was. The thought made him feel warm inside.

“So... is this the reason why you've been acting weird for days?” the blond asked once they'd eaten their fill.  
“I'm sorry if I worried you. It's just... I just realized what I actually felt for you and I … I didn't know what to do.” Harry confessed.  
“You could have talked to me.”  
“I wanted to. But Daphne said I had to court you properly, cause you're a pureblood.”

The Slytherin rolled his eyes. Yes, that sounded very much like Daphne. And of course Harry would let the girls talk him into all this shit. Not that he hadn't enjoyed the flowers and chocolate and the picnic, but he didn't really need it either.

“Why did you talk to her and the others, but not to me?” he wanted to know.

Harry shrugged. “Luna said I was in love with you. And when I realized that she was right, I just... it was overwhelming. I didn't know what to do. So I talked to Daphne and Lavender and they promised to help. And then Luna wanted to help, too. And Daphne must've told Pansy, because she sent me an owl and … I thought they probably know better how to do these things than me. I mean, I would've just blurted it out the next time I saw you, or something like that.”

“That would have been okay for me.” Draco assured.  
“Really?”  
“Yes, really. I loved the flowers. And the chocolate and everything else. But... it's not really you, is it?”

The Gryffindor hesitated for a moment, obviously unsure how to answer. “I guess not.” he finally admitted. “I might have bought you chocolate, because I know you love sweets. But I wouldn't have thought to send you flowers.”

“That's okay.”  
“Is it really?” Harry checked, like he really was unsure.  
“Harry, I fell in love with you because you're you. Not because of you doing some romantic shit the girls put into your head.”

He was expecting the Gryffindor to duck his head or maybe even defend the girls. He wasn't expecting the dopey grin that appeared on his face. Then he realized what exactly he'd said.

“So you really love me back?” Harry asked in wonder.  
“Yes, I do.” Draco whispered. And because this was getting way too emotional, he added: “Though you haven't really told me that you love me, you know?”  
The younger boy frowned. “Of course I did. I sent those flowers...”  
“But you didn't say it.”  
“Oh! Well, I...” He finally seemed to realize that Draco was joking, because he shook his head with a grin. “You're impossible.”  
“I am. But you love me.”  
“Yes, I do. I love you, Draco Malfoy. Will you be my Valentine?”  
“Of course.”

Will you be mine? Harry had asked with flowers. Maybe Draco would send a bouquet back as answer, if only to mock him a little. And because he wasn't quite ready to admit that he'd already been Harry's for a very long time.

They stayed out by the lake until it was almost curfew, protected from the cold by Luna's warming charms and another round of kisses. When they finally made it back inside, walking the halls hand in hand, the common room was almost deserted. No-one gave them a second glance, so Draco pulled Harry to their room.

Only to stop right after entering. The whole room was bathed in soft candle-light and there were rose petals strewn all over the floor and both of their beds. The blond wondered if it was a trick of the light or if the sheets really had been changed to silk. Harry had gone completely pale. He turned to Draco with wide eyes.

“I had nothing to do with that! I swear!”

And he looked so shocked that the blond couldn't help but dissolve into a fit of laughter. Daphne and Lavender had obviously gone all out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's it. I kind of like this ending, but I also thought about writing an epilogue. What do you think, dear readers? Do you want an epilogue? Or should I leave it here? It's up to you.


	18. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soo... some of you wanted an Epilogue, so here it is. I must admit I'm not really happy with it, but I decided to post it anyway. Let me know what you think, okay? I've decided to write it from someone else's POV this time, to give an outsider's view of Harry and Draco.

Hermione stepped out of the floo, her eyes immediately finding Professor McGonagall, who seemed to be waiting for her.

“Welcome back to Hogwarts, Miss Granger.”   
“Thank you, professor. I mean, headmistress.” Hermione quickly corrected herself.  
“Professor is just fine.” the older woman assured.   
“I want to thank you again for making this possible for me.”  
“There really is no need to thank me. You have always been the most brilliant student of your year. It would have been a waste for you not to take your NEWTs.”

Hermione smiled at the praise. Despite the fact that she’d been called the brightest witch of her age many times now, McGonagall’s words still meant a lot to her. 

“The house elves have already prepared your room. I guess you’ll want to settle in before dinner.” the headmistress suspected.  
“That would be lovely. Though I don’t have much to unpack.” She indicated the small bag slung over her shoulder, but chose not to mention the undetectable extension charm.  
“Well, I won’t keep you any longer. I’ve asked a friend of yours to show you to the eighth year quarters. He should already be waiting outside.”

Hermione thanked the headmistress and left the office, fully expecting to find Harry waiting for her. But her guide turned out to be …

“Neville, hello.”  
“Hey, Hermione. I hope you’re not too disappointed to see me.”  
“Of course not.” she assured quickly. “It’s lovely to see you. How have you been?”  
“Oh I’m great. Come on, I’ll show you the way.”

He took off down the hall and she followed him, trying to stifle the urge to ask why he was taking her to her room and not Harry. It would be terribly rude. But it seemed that Neville knew her too well.

“Harry’s busy calming Draco. He’s been fretting about NEWTs for the better part of two weeks now. Drives us all nuts.” he let her know.  
“Well, NEWTs are a big thing.” Hermione said diplomatically.

Truth be told, she was still a bit surprised about Harry’s relationship with Malfoy. She usually prided herself on being very observant, but she hadn’t seen this one coming at all. And after all of the bad things he’d done, the insults and jibes, she still had a hard time trusting Malfoy. 

On the other hand she couldn’t deny that he was obviously good for her friend. Harry had sounded happy in his last letters. And like he was really getting better. She’d been worried about him. The nightmares, the break-up with Ginny, the problems with his magic … All of those were things she hadn’t known how to fix. And instead of trying her best and offering support, she had taken off to Australia with Ron. She had run away. And she wasn’t proud of it.

“How is Harry?” she finally asked.  
“He’s good. A little stressed about NEWTs, I guess. Just like all of us.”  
“I can imagine.”

Neville stopped walking and turned to face her. Hermione felt a little alarmed when she saw the serious look on his face.

“Stop fretting, Hermione. He’s fine. His magic is fine. He’s happy.”  
“Sorry. I can’t help feeling guilty. I mean, Ron and I just took off and left him behind.”  
“He’s not holding a grudge. You know Harry. And I think this was just what he needed. It might have been hard for him at first, but he’s okay now.”  
“That’s good.”  
“Come on. I’ll show you to your room. Then you can drop off your stuff and see for yourself.”

They continued on their way, finally stopping in front of a stone gargoyle. Neville said the password “Unity” and the gargoyle leapt aside. There were only a handful of people sitting on the couches and armchairs. Anthony Goldstein greeted her with a smile, while Hannah Abbott waved. Hermione looked around the eighth year common room in wonder, feeling a strange sense of longing. Visiting her parents had been great, but she had missed Hogwarts more than she’d thought she would. 

Neville led her down the right corridor, along a couple of doors, stopping in front of the last one.   
“That’s your room. Right next door are Hannah and Lisa Turpin.” he explained. “The boy’s dorms are down the other corridor. Harry’s room is the second door to the right. You’d better knock and wait a moment before entering. They sometimes still forget to lock the door when they’re busy. Though I guess Seamus and Blaise have mostly cured them of that. They had a bet going, you know?”

“A bet?” Hermione asked cautiously, not sure if she really wanted to know the answer.

“Yeah. To see who managed to walk in on Harry and Draco more often. I think they called it a draw in the end, because Lavender had both of them beat.” Neville said with a shrug, uncaring of her blush. “If you need anything else, my room is right next to theirs. You can’t miss it. It’s the door that has seaweed taped to it.”

“Why has your door…?”  
“Luna.”  
“Oh. Okay.”

He went back towards the common room and Hermione entered her room. It was surprisingly big, with a four-poster-bed in Gryffindor colours dominating the centre. She dropped her bag onto the bed and considered unpacking, but her curiosity got the better of her. So she left the room again and went down the other corridor, knocking on Harry’s door after a slight hesitation.

There was a thump from somewhere inside, accompanied by laughter. She frowned, wondering if it would be better to come back later, but then Harry’s voice called out: “Come in!”

Hermione entered cautiously. The room looked surprisingly tidy. No clothes or other items littered the floor. Ron’s room usually looked like a bomb had exploded. Only one of the desks was covered in parchment and books. Harry was leaning against the other desk, while Draco sat on his bed. She couldn’t help noticing that both of them looked a bit rumpled.

“Mione! What are you doing here?” the dark-haired boy exclaimed in surprise, rushing over to give her a hug.  
“I’m sitting my NEWTs with you guys. I’ve told you.” she reminded.  
“Yeah, but NEWTs start tomorrow.”  
“McGonagall felt it would be better for me to come today and stay here during the examinations. She thought it would be less stressful.”

“You’ve got the spare room next to Hannah and Lisa, I suppose?” Malfoy chimed in.  
“That’s right. I’ve just arrived.”  
“Ron didn’t come with you?” Harry wanted to know.  
“No, he didn’t. He wanted to, but since he decided to forego his NEWTs he really has no reason to be here, so McGonagall wouldn’t allow it.”

He had pouted for a while and then sent Hermione off with strict instructions to make sure that Harry was okay, that he was happy and that Malfoy wasn’t hurting him in any way. She was supposed to report back as soon as possible. To Ron and Mrs. Weasley, who was just as worried.

“Right. Makes sense.” Harry had to admit. “Well, at least you’re here. But don’t just stand there. Take a seat.” 

He flopped down onto the bed beside Malfoy, so Hermione grabbed a nearby chair and sat down so she was facing them. She couldn’t help but notice that both boys seemed completely at ease with each other. They sat very close together with Harry leaning slightly towards Malfoy.

“Which NEWTs are you taking?” she asked in an attempt to keep the conversation going. Merlin, this was so strange. She’d never had trouble talking to Harry before. But she couldn’t shake the feeling that things were still a bit strained between them. And Malfoy’s presence didn’t exactly help matters.

“I’m taking Potions, Charms, DADA, Herbology, Transfiguration and Arithmancy.” the blond answered. “What about you?”  
“Pretty much the same. Plus Astronomy and Ancient Runes.”

“You’re both mental.” Harry said with a snort.  
“You’re taking the same NEWTs as I am, aside from Arithmancy.” Malfoy reminded.  
“But at least I’m not as fanatic about it.” the Gryffindor claimed. “Honestly Mione, I always thought you were bad when it comes to studying, but he’s actually worse.”  
“Forgive me for caring about my education. And I didn’t study nearly as hard as I wanted to, because someone kept distracting me.” the blond shot back.  
“You weren’t complaining at the time.”

Hermione watched their bickering with wide eyes. This was a far cry from the fights she was used to witnessing between those two. They actually reminded her a bit of Ron and herself. Which was downright scary.

“Ron complained in his last letter that you spend all of your time studying.” Harry addressed her again. For a moment it had seemed like they’d forgotten she was still there.

“Of course I did. I had to study on my own, after all. Maybe I made the wrong decision, when I chose not to come back for eighth year. I don’t think I’m as well prepared as I should be.” she confessed.

“You always say that. And then you get straight O’s in everything.” Harry said, rolling his eyes.  
“I don’t know why you’re fretting.” Malfoy agreed. “Aside from the fact that you’re probably the smartest student in our year, you don’t even rely on you NEWTs. You’ve already been accepted by the Department of Magical Law.”

For a second she was stunned speechless. And not only because Draco Malfoy had just paid her a compliment.

“Harry! That was supposed to be a secret! I told you it’s not even official yet.”  
“So?”  
“So that means you can’t go around telling people!” she hissed.  
“I didn’t tell people. I only told my boyfriend.”

Hermione didn’t know what to say. She was also a bit distracted by the dopey grin that appeared on Malfoy’s face when Harry said the word boyfriend. She hadn’t thought the haughty Slytherin would be capable of such a soft look.

Before she could come up with a suitable reply, the door flew open and Lavender barged into the room. So Neville hadn’t been kidding about that. Harry and Malfoy didn’t seem at all bothered by her unexpected entry.

“Something wrong, Lavender?” the dark-haired boy asked.  
“Have you guys seen Daphne?”  
“Not since Charms.”  
“Me either.” the Slytherin agreed with his boyfriend. “Why? Did something happen?”

Lavender sat down next to Harry. “She got a letter from her parents this morning and … Oh, hello Hermione.”  
“Hi Lavender.” Hermione replied politely.  
“And…?” Malfoy prodded.

“Well, at first she said she wouldn’t read it. She was afraid it was going to be bad news, so she wanted to wait until exams are over. But then she didn’t come to the library after lessons, like she usually does. And when I went to our room to look for her, I saw the opened letter lying on her desk.”

“What did her parents want?” Harry asked, like he fully expected Lavender to have read Daphne’s letter.   
As she obviously had.

“They found out about us.” she sighed, which didn’t make any sense to Hermione. But the boys seemed to know what she was talking about.  
“How bad is it?” Malfoy wanted to know.  
“They told her to break up with me.” Lavender hiccuped.

Hermione wondered if she’d heard that correctly. Break up as in….?  
“She won’t do that. Daphne loves you.” Harry claimed.  
Okay, so she had heard that correctly. It seemed like she had missed quite a lot.

“I know she does, but still… I just have a bad feeling about the whole thing. And now she’s disappeared...”  
“Don’t worry, Lavender. We’ll find her.” Malfoy said comfortingly.  
“Sure we will. I’ll get the map.” Harry decided. 

He jumped up and went over to his trunk. “Ah, there it is.” he exclaimed after digging through it for a few minutes. But just as he was about to activate the Marauder’s Map, the door opened again (without anyone knocking) and Daphne Greengrass entered the room.

Hermione watched in shock as Lavender cried “Daphne!” and all but threw herself at the Slytherin girl, kissing her rather desperately. Belatedly she averted her eyes.

Only to find Malfoy grinning at her. “No sense of propriety, those two.” he drawled.  
“Look who’s talking.” Lavender shot back.  
“Lavender was worried you might listen to your parents and leave her.” Harry let Daphne know. Hermione hadn’t even noticed that he’d rejoined Malfoy on the bed.

“Never!” the Slytherin girl exclaimed fiercely. “I was just in the owlery, sending them a reply. I told them where to stick their pureblood nonsense. If I’m going to marry anyone, it’ll be Lavender.”

Her declaration prompted the other girl to squeal and kiss her again. When they broke apart, Daphne climbed onto the bed next to Harry. 

“I hope your offer still stands. Looks like I’m going to have to take you up on it.”  
“Of course it still stands.” the Gryffindor boy assured.

“What offer?” Hermione wanted to know. She felt completely out of the loop. And she didn’t like that feeling at all. 

“I told Daphne she could move into Grimmauld Place with us, if her parents chuck her out.” Harry answered.

“Us?” Oh Merlin, was Harry under the impression that Ron and her would move into that dreadful old house with him? Whatever had given him that idea? And how was she supposed to tell him that they wouldn’t move in with him, without setting off his errant magic?

“Yeah, with Draco and me.”

Hold on. Stop. Rewind. Had he just said…

“You’re moving in together?”  
“Of course we are. Right after we’re done with school. Didn’t I tell you?”  
“No, you didn’t. … Don’t you think it’s … maybe a bit … soon?” Hermione asked cautiously.  
“You sound like Draco’s mum.” Harry grumbled.  
“She wasn’t exactly thrilled when I told her. But I think she’s coming round.” Malfoy claimed.

“I really don’t know what the fuss is about. Those two were clearly made for each other.” Lavender chimed in.  
“Absolutely.” her girlfriend agreed.

Hermione yet again didn’t know what to say. She was convinced that it was way too soon. But she could hardly say that. At least not without angering Harry. Oh Merlin, Ron was going to have a fit when she told him. And Molly would start fretting even worse.

“We should head down to dinner.” Harry announced. And with that the topic was obviously closed. 

So Hermione followed the other four down to the great hall. She tried to head for the Gryffindor table automatically, but Harry grabbed her arm and pulled her to the Slytherin table instead. She looked around uncomfortably, but no-one seemed to mind. In fact, she now noticed that quite a few students were sitting at different tables.

She spied Neville at the Hufflepuff table with Hannah Abbot. Blaise Zabini and Terry Boot were sitting with the Gryffindors. Lavender had joined the Slytherins as well. And it wasn’t only the eighth years. The younger students did it too.

“Luna started it.” Harry let her know. “And then Lavender decided that we should sit with the Slytherins. And since the teachers didn’t seem to mind, more people started doing it. First the eighth years and then the others. Now it’s normal.”

Hermione looked up at the teachers table and found McGonagall smiling at her. Inter-house-unity indeed. It seemed like she had missed out on an interesting year after all.

Dinner was a surprisingly enjoyable affair. Hermione got over the strangeness of sitting at the Slytherin table pretty quickly. She found herself drawn into a conversation with Daphne Greengrass, who turned out to be a very smart and witty girl. 

When the desserts had vanished and it was time to head back to the dorms, Harry caught her arm.   
“Let’s go for a walk.” he urged, steering her out towards the lake. They walked along the shore for a bit and finally stopped at a secluded spot between two trees.

“Draco said you’d probably want to talk to me alone.”  
“I hope I didn’t make him feel left our or something.” Hermione said apologetically.  
“Don’t worry. He’s busy with his first years. And it’s not like we usually spend every minute together.” Harry assured.

His words did reassure her a little. Truth be told, she’d been a bit scared that he was depending too much on Malfoy.

“Come on, Mione. I know you’re just dying to ask me something.”   
“Well, I … I just want to know if you’re okay. If you’re happy.”

“I’m very happy. Things were tough after the war, but I’m okay now. My magic is under control. I haven’t had an outburst in ages. So you don’t have to treat me like a ticking bomb. Stop fretting and just talk to me, okay?”

Harry looked like he meant it and she found herself relaxing slightly. She also dared to bring up the difficult topic of Malfoy again.  
“So Malfoy is moving in with you?”

“Yeah.” Harry said with a grin. “I know you think it’s too soon. And it’s probably a bit of a shock for you. But we’re in love. Everything just feels… right, you know? Like we’ve always been meant to end up together.”

Hermione still didn’t understand it. After all the fights, the taunts and insults… How could Harry fall for the boy who had done so many horrible things? On the other hand, he and Malfoy had always gravitated towards each other. So maybe he was right and this was the logical outcome.

“As long as you’re happy.” was what she finally settled on saying. Really, what else was she supposed to say? Harry was an adult. It was his life and if he chose to spend it with Malfoy there was nothing she could do.

“I’m very happy.” he assured again. “And it’s not like it’ll be just Draco and me. Looks like Daphne is going to move in, too. Which means that Lavender is going to stay over all the time. And we’ll have tons of other visitors. You and Ron, I hope. Pansy already demanded unrestricted floo access and Neville agreed to help with the garden. And Luna wants to check the house for Wrackspurts.”

He sounded excited and Hermione couldn’t help but smile. It was good to see him get excited over something again. 

“Of course we’ll come visit.” she promised. “And not only Ron and I. Molly will want to check on you. And George, too. He’s a lot better now.”  
“That’s good to hear.”

“The house probably needs a bit of fixing up, though.” she pointed out.  
“More than a bit, actually. But I’m sure we’ll manage. Daphne, Lavender and Luna already offered to help. And Draco’s mum thinks she found a way to get rid of Walburga’s portrait.”  
“That’s great. Let me know if Ron and I can do something to help, too. You know you can always count on us.”  
“Thanks. I guess we’ll need all the help we can get.”

Yes, Hermione thought so as well. And maybe it would be a good opportunity to get to know Malfoy better. And the other new friends Harry seemed to have found. It sounded like an interesting group for sure. 

They finally made their way back inside, joining the other eighths years in the common room for a quiet evening. As Hermione watched Harry, she couldn’t help but smile. He was sharing a couch with Malfoy and Terry Boot and all three boys were joking around. A smile seemed permanently etched onto his features and he looked completely relaxed. The tension in his shoulders, that had been there ever since fifth year, was suddenly gone. 

Before she went to bed she sent a quick owl to Ron and Molly, letting them know that Harry was healthy and happy and that Malfoy seemed genuine in his affections. She fell asleep with a smile on her face, feeling lighter than she had in months.

**Author's Note:**

> Comments would be very much appreciated.


End file.
